


Table 15

by CaderiNights (orphan_account)



Category: Jacksepticeye (Youtube), Markiplier (YouTube), youtube - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Part-Time Job, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Explicit Language, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sex, Jack moves to LA, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Fluff, Septiplier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-08-17 04:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 44,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8131097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CaderiNights
Summary: Sean (his friends call him Jack) is behind on his rent. YouTube hasn't been paying as well as he had hoped, and he's been forced to move out of his parent's lovely Irish cottage all the way to America, where he takes on a part-time job. He has found work at the Other Side Café and Bar, as a waiter. It's usually uneventful, although one particular regular happens to recognize Jack. And not just because of his channel.





	1. Chapter 1

"Order up for Table 4!" Suzy said. I grabbed the serving tray full of delicious food. A burger with everything except the patty, a small strawberry milkshake without whip cream, a plate of fries, and a sauerkraut hot dog.

 _Who orders a burger and not the patty? That's basically a salad_ _with bread_. I thought to myself. I forced a smile as I walked over to the table. A girl that looked about 10 with blonde pigtails and her father sat at table 4. She smiled and clapped her hands when she saw me coming.

"Here you are!" I said. The girl laughed at me and said, "You sound like a pirate!" And she giggled some more.

"Beverly, be nice," her father scolded. I, however, grinned. I squeezed one eye closed and pretended my hand was a hook. As I set their food down on the table I said, "Yar! Here be ye burger and hot dog. Ye better eat up to become a strong pirate like me, or I'll make ye walk the plank! Yo ho ho!"

Beverly laughed and clapped her hands. I turned to an invisible bird on my shoulder, "Isn't that right, Polly?" I sqawked and said, "Polly wants a cracker!" I then folded my arms under my armpits and pretended to be a bird.

I felt the eyes of all the people in the small café turn to watch me, including the head-chef Suzy. Honestly, I didn't mind.

The girl laughed and clapped even harder. Her father even smiled a bit. I returned back to my normal stance, smiling for real this time and half-laughing. "You two enjoy your food, and let me know if you need anything else," I waved at them, and returned to my job.

Suzy had seen the whole ordeal. "Sean, what was that display back there?" The chef said sternly. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"She, um...she said I sounded like a pirate. So I kinda...I kinda ran with it," I said, my voice shaking just barely. Suzy was known to be a stern boss. It was just her and her family that ran the Other Side Café. She didn't often ask strangers for help, but since her oldest daughter had just recently gone off to college, she badly needed some extra hands on deck. So I applied for the job, and it was a miracle I got it. To my knowledge, she turned down everyone except me. She said I had "charm".

She paused for a bit, narrowing her eyes at me through the window that connected the kitchen to the dining part of the café. A small smile formed on her face. "Well done, kid. Taking advantage of that accent of yours was real smart. I bet you'll be getting a nice tip from that guy," she said.

I smiled widely. In the two months that I've worked her, I have never made Suzy smile. "Thanks," I said gratefully. **Achievement Unlocked:** Impressed Your Stern Boss.

Suzy nodded silently, hardly smiling now, and went back to cooking. I heard the bell ring above the entrance and a young couple walked in. I walked over to greet them.

"Hello, and welcome to the Other Side Café and Bar. I'm Sean, and I'll be your server today," I said with a smile. The woman smiled back. "Hello. Um, table for two please?" She said.

"Right this way," I replied and I led them passed the girl and her father to a table by the window. The two sat down. They looked to be in their teens. _This won't last long,_ I thought to myself. I know from experience that high school relationships never-

 _ **DING!** _ Suzy rang the Order Up bell. _God damnit Suzy, you interrupted my private PSA!_ "Okay, here's the menu, and I'll be back to take your order shortly." I told them, placing the small menus infront of them.

I walked over to the kitchen window. "Table 15," Suzy said, not looking up from her cooking. I nodded, picking up the black serving tray.

A few months ago, I was evicted from my apartment in Ireland. I was very behind on my rent. Like, extremely behind. Unfortunately, YouTube wasn't paying as well as I'd hoped. My parents wouldn't let me me move back in with them. They told me to find a better job. Thankfully, they lent me some money to get myself started. I guess they took pity on their "Internet-Famous son".

So, I packed my things and used that and what little bit of money I had left to fly to the United States of America. I found an affordable apartment in Los Angeles, California, and I figured it'd be easier to find a job. Not only that, but I'd be closer to other YouTubers so I could do collabs more often. And I was sick and tired of that god damn Ireland rain!

I'm still making YouTube videos, of course. I'd never stop doing what I love. I still post two videos a day, except on weekends when I'm only able to post one.

"Here you are sir," I said, setting down the BLT and fries on table #15. "Please let me know if you need anything else," I said. As I turned to go check up on other customers, I heard the man say, "Thanks, Jack,"

I stopped dead in my tracks. How did this guy know my name? I don't remember taking his order or even seating him at that table. Did I even see him walk in? I checked my name tag and, sure enough, it said Sean. Only my friends call me Jack. How could he have known? It's likely that he just recognized me from YouTube. But then again, he wasn't acting like any fan I've met before. They normal point out that it's me and ask for a picture or an autograph. And I hardly ever see fans eating at this place. And the way this guy said my name...it had a ton of affection and familiarity. Like we'd been friends for years. In fact, that deep voice of his sounded really familiar.

I turned slowly, just to confirm my suspicion. And there, sitting alone at table number 15 was the same exact person I thought it was.

* * *

 

"Hey, Jack. Didn't think you'd be in town," the man said. He smiled, running his hand through his infamous floof.

"Mark!" I exclaimed loudly. I felt Suzy's stone-cold gaze boring holes into the back of my neck. I tensed at the feeling. If looks could kill...

"I-I didn't expect you to show up around here," I said, lowering my voice to normal levels.

Markiplier smiled, "Well, then apparently you are the least observant person in the entire world," he said with a chuckle. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Mark pushed up his glasses and sat up straight, imitating a fancy gentleman. He even twirled his invisible mustache. "I have been eating at this fine establishment since before you started to work here,"

"Wha-wait really?" I said in astonishment. This place wasn't even that amazing compared the In-N-Out Burger just down the street. This was just an old café that happened to make the best burgers I've ever tasted. And, I suppose, local hand-crafted beer.

But he just nodded. He looked behind me and waved at Suzy. Suzy actually smiled at him and waved back. Like, full-on smile, not just the little, partially fake smile she gave me. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked at the brief exchange between him and the tough-as-nails chef.

"Suzy and my mom grew up together," Mark explained. "Turns out Suzy moved to L.A. shortly after college and started her own business here. When I moved, my mom told me to pay her a visit. I have come by here just about every Sunday since. And I sit at good ol' Table 15, and order the same BLT and fries every time. Sometimes I order a soda or beer. Then I saw you had started working down here about two months ago," He said with a casual smile.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "So, you weren't even the least bit surprised when you saw me?" I said raising my eyebrow yet again. Mark chuckled and waved his hand.

"Oh no, I was totally surprised. I spit out my soda when I saw you, actually. But you had just clocked out, so I didn't get a chance to talk to you," he said nonchalantly.

"Well then. That would explain what that mystery stain is on the seat across from you is. I thought some had...I dunno, thrown up there or something," I replied. Mark smiled awkwardly. "Yeah...sorry,' he said rubbing his neck.

I was about to reply, but Suzy rang the Order Up bell again. "Okay, well nice seein' ya, Mark, but I've got work to do." I said pointing with both thumbs behind my shoulder at Suzy. "I'll see ya later," I said casually as I walked over to get the serving tray for the next table.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mark wave. He smiled, then turned to his food running his hand through his hair again.

"I see you've met Mark," Suzy said as she flipped a hamburger patty. I nodded, "Well, I've met him before," I said calmly.

Suzy stared at me over her red glasses, with her infamous "I know" look. But she dismissed it and turned back to the burger. "Table seven. And don't forget to take table two's order," She said coldly.

I picked up the black tray of food and roll my eyes. "I forgot to take an order one time, and it lives with me forever," I joked. As I turned I felt a familiar pair of brown eyes staring at the back of my head.

I knew who it was, obviously, but I turned to look anyways. Mark quickly looked down at his plate and took a bite out of his sandwich. I couldn't help but smile as he had accidentally bit off too much, and he couldn't chew it properly.

Along the way to table seven I had teased a couple people by looking in their direction. Their eyes lit up excitedly when I neared their table, which soon turned to despair when they realized it wasn't their food.

 _I'm such a jack-ass_ , I thought to myself gleefully. _But that is to much fun_ , I neared my destination, and gave them their food. I went and took table two's order as well. On my way back  I noticed that the blonde girl and her father had left the table, and were at the front desk paying.

The dad handed his daughter something. He then nudged her forward in my direction. She ran over to me, holding a green slip of paper in her hand. She handed me the slip.

"This is for you, Captain!" she said with a huge grin on her face. I carefully took the paper out of her hand. I squeezed my eye shut and made my finger hook again. I bent down to meet her gaze.

"Yar, thank ye, lassie! It looks like ye ate all ye food. Good thing too, 'cuz now ye don't have to walk the plank!" I said, impersonating a pirate again. "Isn't that right, Polly?" I said, once again turning to the invisible bird on my shoulder.

This time the girl flapped her arms like a parrot. She did her best sqawk and said, "Polly wants a cracker!" We laughed together and I gave her a high five. Her dad called her over. She looked back at him, then turned to me and gave me a hug. I was surprised by this, and gently hugged her back.

"Thanks again, Captain!" She said as she let go of me. She ran back to her dad, waving at me all the way. I smiled and waved back as they left. I then stood up and look at the paper in my hand.

I'm not incredibly familiar with America's currency, but I do know that $20 is a really huge tip. My eyes widened and I stuffed the hefty tip in my pocket. I smiled at the door as I watched the pair walk by, and then I walked back to Suzy.

I passed by Melly, who was working the cash register that day. She's Suzy's youngest daughter. I believe she's 17? She looks like she's 15 though. She can't serve the food because she didn't take her "Food Handler's License" test.

"Nicely done, Captain Jack," she teased, but there was a friendly smile behind it. Melly was one of my subscribers on YouTube. The moment she saw me walk in the door on my first day, she got so excited. Now, she and I are pretty great friends.

I grinned at her, replying to her comment, "Thanks. It's a gift," I said, pretending to flip my non-existant-long-hair over my shoulder. She laughed, and went back to recording the orders.

That entire time, I felt Mark watching me. I never noticed him before. Has he been watching me work every Sunday? If he hasn't, I was fuckin' oblivious.

"I took table two's order," I told Suzy, making sure she saw me put the ticket on the 'Wheel of Orders'. Well, that's what I call it anyways. I never actually learned what it was called. She nodded. That small smile was on her face again. I grinned with satisfaction, and I turned away from the window. She's got a soft spot for small kids. Who would've known?

I went to go clean up table four. However, Billy, Suzy's only son who also happened to be another waiter, had beat me too it.

 _Billy_ , I thought angrily. That little shite was my biggest competition. He would always grab **my** hard-earned tips off the tables before I could get to them. _That's my money goddammit! I need it more than you!_ Thankfully the little girl had given me the money personally.

I checked the clock on the wall above the kitchen. 2:29 p.m. _One more minute_ , I thought anxiously. I tapped my toe impatiently, staring up at the clock.

"A watched pot never boils," Melly commented over her shoulder.

"It isn't a pot, its a clock," I retorted. There was a pause.

"A watched watch never...moves...forward...," she said awkwardly as she tried to finish her sentence. She looked straight forward and furrowed her brow in thought.

The clock ticked forward. 2:30. "Well Melly, you really tried there. Don't hurt yourself tryin' to think about it," I said, patting her shoulder with a laugh. She slapped my shoulder playfully. I laughed again at her meager attempt.

"See ya Friday," I said, waving, as I walked to the employee lockers that were located in the back of the café.

"Same bat time," she started with a smile.

"Same bat channel," I finished. It was her way of saying "see you later". I quickly got used to it, and now that is our special way of saying good-bye.

I walked back to the lockers and changed out of the café's "uniform". And by that, I mean a black T-shirt with the logo on it and a white apron. I put on my Game Grumps shirt and pulled on my blue hoodie. I fitted my favorite hat on my head and adjusted it to my liking.

"See you on Friday, Suzy!" I called over my shoulder. She waved silently, like always. As I was walking out, I noticed that Mark was talking to Melly. She was getting change out of the cash register. She was laughing.

I waved at the two. Melly turned and waved back, still giggling. Mark stopped me however.

"Hey," he said calmly. "Since you're in town, how about we go play some video games?"

I rolled my eyes. "Mark, I live here now. I'm always in town, ya smelly," I joked.

"So how 'bout it? Or are you scared I'll kick your ass?" He said. He raised and eyebrow and smirked.

"Was that a challenge?" I said, crossing my arms.

Mark shrugged. "Depends. Are you up for it?" He casually leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

I poked his chest and said, "You're on!" He smiled, stood up straight, and waved good-bye to Melly. I waved as well and we walked out of the café together.

"So! Your place or mine," Mark said, rubbing his hands together. He looked over his glasses and put on his best evil grin.

"Well it depends," I said with a grin to match his own. I nudged him with my elbow playfully. We exchanged glances and laughed. Man, it felt so good to laugh with him again. It's been ages since we last saw each other. Well, not really, since he's seen me at the Café every Sunday. Which reminds me-

"In all seriousness," Mark said. He had composed himself, however he was still smiling. _Damnit Mark, you interrupted my thought._

I shook my head to clear up the effects of laughter. "How about your's?" I replied.

Mark nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me!" He pulled out his car keys, tworled them around his finger, then hit the unlock button. A a short "beep" could be heard not to far from us. He pointed at a shiny, blue, two-door car and walkes over to it. It looked brand new, like he had just bought it yesterday.

He opened the door on the left side and climbed in. Sure, I've been here for about 2 or 3 months now, but I was still having a hard time adjusting to the whole "driving on the right side of the road" thing. I walked around Mark's blue car and opened the door.

Though the outside looked new, the inside revealed the truth. This car must be 3 to 4 years old. There were old candy wrappers scattered across the floor in the backseat and the green tree air freshener hardly help keep the smell of McDonald's burgers tame. The headrest for Mark's seat was torn on the side, with a thumb-sized hole, and you could see a bit of the yellow stuffing peeking out.

Mark leaned over and picked up a hefty stack of mail from my seat. "Sorry, I just went to tbe Post Office today," he said. He carefully placed the stack of fanmail in the backseat.

After I had buckled in, Mark started the engine. He started to back up. So how are you liking L.A ?" He asked nonchalantly.

"It's fuckin' hot here! It's like summer all the time! And I haven't seen rain since I moved!" I said, opening the air vent in the dashboard so it blew on me. The cool air felt nice on my neck. Mark laughed.

"If you wanted rain, should try Oregon or Washington!" Mark said. I shook my head vigorously. "Trust me. I am relieved to be out of that mess," I said bluntly. Sure, I miss it a bit, but not to much. Growing up with rain practically everyday made you despise it. "At least in Ireland we got four seasons," I said flatly.

"Hey! 'Summer all the time' isn't that bad!" Mark said defensively. He stared straight at me with a frown. He couldn't help himself, and eventually we started laughing again.

He stopped at a red light and he turned to me. "I just remembered, what about your car? How will you get home?" He said, briefly looking back up at the stoplight.

"I don't have one," I replied. "I can't afford it yet. And this whole," I motioned to the road and Mark in the left front seat, "idea is little tough to grasp. As for the getting home question," I held up my wallet and shook it slightly. "Bus fare," I've been taking the bus to work a lot lately. Almost every single day. Sometimes I'll ride my bike to work; thankfully my apartment isn't to far from here.

Mark looked at me over his glasses yet again. "I can drive you home," he said, pulling forward as the light turned green.

"Really dude, its no trouble!" I said, sitting up straight in my seat. "You don't have to," I adjusted my hat awkwardly. We turned a corner onto another street, passing a lamppost with at least 50 different signs on it. Actually it looked awfully familiar...

"Hey! There's my apartment building!" I said, pointing out a dark grey, concrete building with five floors. Mark looked up at it.

"Really? You live in that shabby old place?" He asked. He sounded genuinely surprised.

I turned to him after we passed it by. "I'm not exactly the richest man in the world, Mark," I said stubbornly. He just shook his head and laughed.

Mark turned around another corner. He slowed and turned into a parking lot behind a short building. "Well, here's _MY_ apartment building," He said cheekily. He turned off the car, and unbuckled himself.

I got out and looked at the three story apartment complex. What it lacked in height, it gained in width. _That's what she said, ho-ho! High five me!_ I inwardly laughed at my own dumb joke. No, but seriously. This was a huge building.

"Wait, you lived so close to me and I didn't even realize it? I'm literally right across the street!" I exclaimed in surprise. Mark just shrugged.

"Like I said before, you're the least observant man alive. I'm just surprised I didn't hear you shouting. We are practically neighbors!" Mark said, chuckling.

I playfully punched his arm, "Oh, ha-ha, very funny," I tried to sound sarcastic, but in the end I actually laughed.

Mark laughed and rubbed his arm. He opened his car door and got out. He then pushed his seat forward and grabbed the stack of fanmail from the backseat. He struggled a bit, so I ran over to help him. Mark nodded gratefully and pushed his car seat forward again with his foot.

The brown-eyed man closed his car door with his hip, and locked it again, pressing the lock button five times. "Dude, its it's locked," I said. Mark grinned evilly and proceeded to click the lock button five more times.

"Mark, I'm pretty sure your car is locked now," I said sternly. Mark started to laugh maniacally as he locked his car AGAIN for the 15th time. I tried to keep a straight face. A small smile tugged at the corners on my mouth as I shouted, "Mark!"

He laughed, wiped his eyes, and put his keys back into his pocket. "Just making sure!" He said with a smug-ass grin on his face. "You little asshole," I said, trying to sound serious, however my slight chuckle gave it away. He walked ahead of me through the apartment complex's doors with that stupid grin plastered on his face.

We walked to the elevator; each of us with a huge stack of letters and packages in our arms. The elevator arrived, almost immediately, with a "ding", and an elderly lady and her (what I assumed) grand daughter walked out. Mark smiled, tipping his head respectfully at her.

"Hello Mrs. Kellinger!" He said politely. He smiled at the little girl too and said with a calm, sweet voice, "Hi Angelica!"

The little brown haired girl waved at Mark. "Hi Mark!" She said happily. She had to be about 5 years old. The dark-skinned grandma smiled gently at Mark. "Good aft'rnoon, Mr. Fischbach, Boy, you've got your hands full today!" She commented on the stack of letters in his hands.

Mark smiled. "Yeah! I still haven't completely gone through all the mail from last Sunday!" The woman smiled back, making the wrinkles on her face deepen.

"Well then, thankfilly y'all have help! Who's this?" She said gesturing to me. I adjusted my stack and stuck out my hand for her to shake.

"Hello, my name is Sean," I said politely. She took my hand and shook it gently. "Nice to be meetin' you, Sean. I'm Rose Kellinger, but call me Mrs. Kellinger,"

I smiled, "A pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Kellinger," I waved at the girl as well and gave her a small smile. She simply looked up at me, and pushed her thick hair out of her face curiously.

"Well, you boys better get to sortin' that there mail. I'll see you 'round Mark," Mrs. Kellinger said as she walked outside. "And you too, Sean!" She said, just before she left the building.

I turned to Mark and we boarded the elevator. He pushed a button on the elevator, and began to answer my unspoken question as the doors closed. "She's my downstairs neighbor. Her and her grand daughter, Angelica, go to the park every Sunday and feed the ducks,"

I shifted my pile around again to make it bit easier to carry. "I didn't think you talked to your neighbors," I commented.

"What, and you don't?" Mark said with a chuckle. I looked straight ahead at the elevator door guiltily.

"Erm, no. Wow you've got a lot of fanmail to go through, huh?" I said, quickly changing the subject. Mark frowned, but shook it off. "Uh yeah. I have some more in my apartment," he said awkwardly. We stayed silent for the rest of the short trip.

The elevator stopped on the third floor and the doors slowly opened. Mark stepped out and I followed him.

We walked down the hallway a short ways. Mark adjusted his pile's position and pulled out his keys. He fumbled with them a bit until he found the correct key. After unlocking the door, he gently kicked it open and motioned me to go first. I silently thanked him. I stepped inside and looked around his large apartment. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Wow, nice," I said, looking around. "Definitely more...white than my apartment," And it was. Mark's apartment walls, carpet, and couch were all white. It was fairly empty too, with only a few pieces of furniture scattered about and a large TV hanging on the wall. 

 

I looked over and saw a white USPS mail container was sitting on the dining room table, with a few packages and letters already inside. I walked over and set my pile down inside of it.

 

"You've sure got a lot of mail," I said again, folding my arms and studying the pile. Mark grunted as he put his pile on top of mine. He ran his hand through his signature floof.

 

"Yeah," he said with a satisfied sigh. "Can you help me go through them later?" He said turning to me. I looked over at him and nodded.

 

"Sure. It's not like I have plans or anything," I said sarcastically. Mark rose an eyebrow at me challengingly and smirked.

 

"Well, I'm sorry I'm keeping you from your 'oh-so-important plans'," He said, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

 

"I didn't come here to talk," I grinned. "I came here to kick your ass at Mole Hammers," I punched his arm playfully once again. Mark rubbed it and narrowed his brown eyes at me.

 

"Is that a threat?" He said with his Warfstache voice and raised an eyebrow. I grinned wider, "It depends, where's your computer?" 

 

His eyes silently challenged me. "Upstairs," he said, pointing at the white spiral staircase. He didn't stop staring at me.

 

I smirked back and narrowed my own eyes. I slowly backed towards the steps. When I got close enough, I shouted, "Race ya!" I turned on my heels and began to climb the stairs.

 

I looked behind me and heard Mark exclaim, "You bastard, I wasn't ready!" He laughed, however and I could hear his footsteps chasing after me.

 

I took the steps two at a time, and quickly made it to the top. I was greeted by a hallway, with a few doors leading to different rooms.

 

I sprinted down the hallway, opening the first door I saw. It lead to a small bathroom, with only a sink and a toilet. I sighed and quickly turned around. I could see Mark at the top of the stairs now, and he ran down the hallway.

 

I jumped out in front of him and opened the next door. It looked to be a bedroom. Mark pushed past me, down to the end of the hallway. I gasped and chased after him. 

 

"Caw caw motherfucker!" I said and I jumped on his back. Mark stumbled. "Ah, fuck!" He exclaimed as I wrestled him to the ground.

 

I grinned, and pinned him to the floor. Markiplier struggled to push me off, but I wouldn't let go. "Jack, get off!" He shouted and tried to roll over onto his back.

 

I smiled even wider. I looked up and saw two doors at the end of the hall. I saw my chance, and quickly stood up. I ran down and kicked open the door on the left. It led to yet another bedroom. I let out an aggravated sigh and opened the other one.

 

I laughed triumphantly and entered Mark's recording room. "I win!" I shouted down the hall at Mark. He was just getting up. He looked up at me with narrowed eye, but he started laughing. I laughed with him, and walked over to help him. 

 

"Sorry, are you okay?" I asked as Mark brushed himself off. Mark laughed and nodded. 

 

"Yeah, I'll be fine. My back hurts though," he said, as he awkwardly rubbed his back. "You dug your knees into it! They're like blades of steel!" He laughed again.

 

I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, again," I said. Mark waved it off, and said it was okay.

 

I pointed over my shoulder at his recording room with my thumb. "So, how about it?" I asked. Mark nodded.

 

"Oh yeah! How about Amazing Frog? You said it'd be fun with co-op a while ago," Mark said. He walked over and sat down at his computer. I walked in after him.

 

The rooms had random pieces of black soundproof foam hanging on the walls. There were a few posters his fans made him hanging on the white wooden door. His computer sat in a corner. Two big lights shown on his face, and his microphone was placed on the desk in front of him. An extra swivel chair was sitting in another corner. I dragged it over beside Mark and sat down.

 

He had 2 large monitors set up on his desk. One displayed his recording information, and the other had Steam opened up on it. He handed me a black Xbox controller.

 

I took it and turned it on while he opened up Amazing Frog? on his main monitor. He then turned on his own controller and synced it to the computer.

 

"Okay, so do you want to record this?" He asked as he synced up my controller. 

 

"Might as well, since we're here. Everyone has been waiting for another collab from us," I said, adjusting my seat. Mark handed me the controller again.

 

He sighed, "That means I have to set everything up," he pouted for a second, then laughed. He turned on his face cam, and adjusted it so it would capture both of us. 

 

As he set everything thing up and adjusted the lights, I couldn't help but think that just a few years ago I never thought I'd live in the United States. It was a miracle I even got to move here, what with the fucking terrible immigration law in Ireland. I didn't think it was possible for me to even get a green card. I entered the lottery, to try and win my visa to the US. It was a slim chance, but I had to try.

 

Mark clapped loudly and snapped me out of my thoughts. "Okay, testing...testing," He said in his deep voice. He adjusted his microphone, clapped again, and turned to me. "Now you try," he said, motioning to the mic.

 

"Testing," I said, trying to imitate Mark's deep voice and utterly failing. "Uh, booper dooper!" I shouted as I threw my hands into the air. I leaned away from the mic then I shouted again. "Looks good!" I said, giving Mark a thumbs up.

 

Mark smiled and replied, "Alright, then 3...2...1," he starting the recording and his intro. "Hello everybody, my name is-,"

 

"JackSepticEye and welcome back to Amazing Frog? with Markiplier!" I said, cutting him off. He turned to me and stared sternly at me. We stared at each other for a moment than burst into another bought of laughter.

 

We recorded for at least 2 hours, then called it for the day. We decided to split the video in half and upload it on our channels separately. 

 

During my outro, when I went for high fives, Mark had silently held up his hand. I ended up slapping it, and it took me by surprise.

 

"Oh god, are you okay?" I had said, turning to Mark. But, Mark was laughing. I stared at him with a look of concern, and he just smiled and reassured me that he was fine. "Are you sure? I thought I slapped your face," I said with a half-smile. Mark just laughed even harder and fell out of his chair. I couldn't help myself; we laughed together for what felt like hours. 

 

Mark was still on the floor, and I nearly fell out of my seat. We laughed so hard we nearly cried. When he had composed himself, Mark climbed back into his chair and ran his hand through his hair. "Jeez, Jack. You act like you've never gotten a high five before!" He said with a wide smile. He looked right at me with his brown eyes. They sparkled with enthusiasm as he spoke, and I couldn't help but smile. _God, I sound like a cheesy romantic novel,_ I thought. 

 

"Shut up, Mark," I said, nudging him playfully and wiping my eyes clear of the tears I had gotten from laughing so hard. "God, my stomach hurts from laughing so much," I chuckled as I held my sides. Mark looked over at his face cam and realized it was still on. He stopped recording and turned it off.

 

Mark chuckled and stood up. "Oh man, I haven't laughed that hard since IndyPop Con last year," he stretched his arms over his head with a smile. "Remember that?" he said as he looked down at me.

 

"Of course I remember. I remember losing at air hockey," I said with a smile, "And not being able to meet everyone," I adjusted my cap. Mark stared longingly off into the distance.

 

"I still feel bad that we weren't able to see everyone," he said sentimentally. I stood up, and placed my controller on the desk. "Same dude!" I said, "I just wanted to dive into the crowd and give everyone we didn't get to see a huge fuckin' hug," I sighed.

 

We stood in silence for a while, thinking about how much fun we had then. We always seem happiest when we get to meet fans. And when we hang out together. Mark checked his watch. "Well," he started and he pointed at his wrist, "My fancy it's 5 o'clock. Ya hungry?" he asked me. 

 

I was about to answer when my stomach growled loudly. Mark stared at the monster in my stomach. "Uh, yeah a little," I replied. "I think the last time I at was my lunch break, which was at about noon," I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

 

Mark smiled, "Okay, I'll go order takeout," he said, and started to walk out of the recording room. I half-smiled and followed him out, "Oh, you don't have to do that. It's getting late, I'll just g-," I started, only to be cut off by Mark.

 

"No, I insist. What would you like?" he said, pulling out his wallet. He started listing off possibilities as he counted his money. "Chinese, pizza, Taco Bell, or we could go get McDonald's. I've got 45 dollars,"

 

I thought, and went to pull out my own wallet. Mark stopped me again, "I'll pay," he said sternly. I looked up at him. "Let's split it. I've got enough to pay for my part if we go to Taco Bell," Mark sighed but eventually gave in when he realized that there was no way around it. "Alright, Taco Bell it is!" he said.

We walked downstairs together. Mark grabbed his car keys from a bowl on the dining room table, and opened the front door. We entered the hallway again, Mark locked the door behind us, and we walked to the elevator together. 

* * *

 

"Do you want to go in or should we go through the drive-thru?" Mark asked as he pulled up to Taco Bell. I shrugged, "Either one is fine with me," I said simply. He pulled into a parking space in front of the beige building. "In we go then!" He said.

The inside was pretty empty. A ginger teenage girl was waiting at the cash register, her head resting on her hand boredly. On the other side of the building was a guy, who looked about my age, was mopping the tile floor. An old man sat in a corner by the window slowly eating a burrito.

As we approached the cash register, the girl perked up slightly. She put on a fake smile and said, "Hello, what can I get you?" I stared up at the menu. My stomach growled as I stared up at all the options. I hoped no one could hear it. It sounded a den of angry badgers were trying to break out of my belly.

"I'll have a Fiery Locos Tacos Supreme and a medium Baja Blast please," Mark said politely. He looked over at me expectantly. I shrugged at him, still looking over the menu. "And for you, sir?" The girl asked.

I had no idea what it was, but, "Um, make that 2," _Dear god I hope it isn't spicy_ , I thought. Mark raised an eyebrow at me. But turned back to the girl.

She said something, but I didn't catch it. Mark pulled out his wallet. I reached for mine, and I realized it wasn't there. "Um...Mark," I said. Both him and the girl looked at me. "I uh, forgot my wallet in your car," I said rubbing the back of my neck nervously. Mark laughed.

"No problem dude, I'll pay," He said, handing the girl a twenty. "Are you sure? I could just go and get it," I suggested, but Mark waved it off. The girl gave him some change and told us that our meal would be ready soon.

Mark and I found a clean table and sat down. "Sorry man, I'll pay you back," I told Mark. "Jack," he said staring at me with his big brown eyes, "It's okay. You don't have to pay me back. Seriously."

I sighed and gave in. "Fine. At least you didn't take me to a fancy restaurant or anything," I smiled. Mark leaned back in his chair and pushed up his glasses.

"What? Is Taco Bell not fancy enough for ya?" He said jokingly. I chuckled, "You know, this is actually my first time going to a Taco Bell."

Mark stared at me in astonishment. "Wait, they didn't have Taco Bells in Ireland?" I shook my head and grinned. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. He leaned on the table and looked down at me suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"Mark, I've lived in Ireland my entire life. I'm pretty sure I've never seen an Irish Taco Bell! If you don't believe me, look it up!" I said. Mark pulled out his phone. I stared at him as he googled it. "Oh, wow. I guess there aren't," he said. He seemed surprised.

I narrowed my eyes and smiled, "Last time you ever doubt me, huh?" I said as I folded my arms over my chest. Mark opened his mouth to say something when the girl called out my name. I looked up sharply, then looked at Mark.

"Since I paid, you have to go pick up the food," he said, as he leaned on the table. I looked at the girl again, then back at Mark. He motioned me to go, so I stood up.

"Order for Jack?" I asked the girl. She handed me a tray with 2 wrapped up tacos and 2 cups full of a fizzy green liquid. "Here you are, Jack!" She said. I nodded, "Thank you," and I started to walk back to Mark.

"Hang on," she said, and I turned back to look at her. "That's an Irish accent if I'm not mistaken," she said. "Um, yes, yes it is," I said awkwardly. Her hazel eyes sparked with interest.

"What part of Ireland are you from?" She asked, leaning over the edge of the counter. I looked back at Mark, who was on his phone. I turned back to her, "The midlands. Right in the center of Ireland," I replied.

She smiled, "My mother is from the Midlands! What city did you live in, if you don't mind me asking," I smiled back. "Athlone," I replied. She stood up straight and her smile grew. "No way! My mother is from Cannonsfield!" She said excitedly.

I smiled widely. "That's awesome! That's right across the way!" I said. She nodded. Suddenly her phone rang. She held up her finger and asked me to hold on when she checked it. "It's the end of my shift now, but it's so cool to meet another Irishman!" She said happily.

"You're tellin' me!" I laughed. "It was nice talking to you...," I said. "Melody! My name is Melody," she said as she stuck her hand out to shake. I adjusted the tray in my hands awkwardly and shook it. "I'm Jack," I replied.

She laughed, "I figured. Nice talking to you, Jack! I hope I see you again sometime!" she said. I smiled politely. And waved as she disappeared into the backroom. I turned around and walked back to Mark.

"Took you long enough, jeez," he said as he looked over at the food. "Did she recognize you or something?" he asked me as I sat down. I shook my head, "Not exactly. She recognized my accent. Turns out her mom is from a town not far from my hometown!" I said, placing the tray of food on the table.

Mark grabbed a taco and took a sip of his drink. "That's really cool!" he said as he unwrapped the taco and bit into it. I stared at mine and hesitantly peeled back the white paper wrapper, slowly revealing a bright orange taco shell.

"This is food?" I asked in astonishment. Mark shrugged, "I guess so. Otherwise they wouldn't sell it," he replied before taking another bite. He stared at me intently as I cautiously took a bit of the oddly-colored 'food'. He then smiled widely.

"How is it?" he asked, with a hint of something in his voice. I shrugged, looking down at it while I chewed. I read the wrapper. I could feel my face growing hot. My mouth slowly started to burn. "This is not food!" I said, a bit louder than I wanted.

I could feel my tongue catch on fire. Mark started to laugh. "Come on man, it's not that hot!" I stared at him madly as I swallowed the little bite of hell. "Says the man who basically drank the hottest sauce in the world!" I said. I grabbed my drink and downed about half of it. Mark just laughed even harder. Eventually my mouth cooled off.

"Jesus Christ, I can't eat this," I said in disappointment. Sure, it wasn't nearly as hot as the dried ghost pepper I once ate, but it was still pretty damn spicy. I pushed it towards the brown-eyed man, and I sipped my drink.

Mark calmed down enough to ask me if I wanted something else. I nodded, and said that I would pay for it. He tossed me his car keys, and I walked out to his blue car. I unlocked it, and reached in to find it. It was lying on the floor. When I looked up and shut the door, I saw a little boy with messy brown hair looking up at me in excitement.

"You're Jacksepticeye, right?" he said, bouncing up and down eagerly. I smiled and nodded. "Top o' the mornin' to ya!" I said politely.

The kid beamed and turned back to look at someone. It was that ginger girl from before, Melody! And what I assumed was her mother. "Melody, Mom, look! I told you it was him!" the boy said as he turned back to look at me. I knelt down to meet his gaze, and offered him a high five. Melody and her mom walked over.

"My friends and I love your videos!" he said. I smiled widely. "Why thank you! Can I take a selfie with you?" I asked nicely. I looked up at the mom, "If it's okay with you, ma'am," she smiled and nodded. I pulled out my phone and made a silly face with the boy.

I found out his name was Kellin, he was 11 years old, and that he has been a fan since 5 million subscribers. He was surprised to see me in L.A., but his sister was even more surprised to find out that I was "Internet famous". His mother, Joyce, was pleased to see me. Her accent was much thicker than mine, surprisingly. We talked for about 15 minutes before they had to go home. I waved goodbye and walked back inside. I nearly forgot to lock Mark's car. I pressed the button on his keys and sat down across from him again.

"What happened this time? Did you get mugged?" Mark asked with a smirk. He had finished both tacos in the time I was gone. I laughed and shook my head.

"No, no. But I did meet a fan!" I said excitedly. Mark smiled. "You'll have to tell me about it on the way home. After you order your next meal," he said, pointing at the cash register with his thumb. I nearly forgot why I went outside in the first place. I tossed Mark his keys. He cleaned up his mess while I ordered a bean and cheese burrito.

After I got my order, we left. I ate my burrito in the car on the ride back to Mark's apartment and I told him all about my "fandom encounter".

....

_It's a joke. You're supposed to laugh._

* * *

 

"Well, it sounds like you had a fandom encounter!" Mark said and nudged me with his elbow. He laughed at his joke. I laughed with him _because none of you laughed when I said it._

I nodded. "Yeah! First time being recognized in America! Well, outside of my job," I said proudly. Mark smiled.

"That's so cool, dude." He said as he looked in the rear view mirror. "I couldn't tell you how many people have recognized me," He had said this so absentmindedly. I turned around in my seat to see what he was looking at. There was nothing but a small, black car following not to far behind us.

Mark slowed to a stop at a light, and switched into the right turn lane. "Mark, this isn't the way back," I said with a raised brow. "We didn't go down this street last time," Mark looked in the rear-view mirror again. The car was pulling up to the light.

Mark nodded seriously, "I know. You can't be to sure in L.A. though. I told you that I had to move a couple of times because my fans found out where I lived right?" He said. His broad shoulders were tense. I could tell he was getting increasingly uncomfortable as the car drew closer.

I nodded as Mark checked to make sure it was safe. He turned right, onto Grenobles Street, which was easily 2 or 3 blocks away from our destination.

Mark kept an eye on his side mirrors. He tensed up a bit when the light turned green. The black car had never changed lanes, however, and drove straight forward. Mark let out a heavy sigh of relief. He laughed nervously, and ran a hand through his hair.

He looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back, but I was a tad worried. I have never seen him so uncomfortable outside of playing a video game. One of the ones were you feel like there is something behind you, but you don't want to check in case you're right.

"So, um, you were saying that a couple fans found your apartment?" I prompted carefully, hoping I could get an explanation.

"Oh yeah!" He said, turning his attention back to the road. "Well, they had followed me home. Now I make sure that if anyone is following me, I throw them off with a few turns." He turned right again which lead to a narrow alley.

"I know not every single car that happens to drive behind me is a fan of mine. And it sounds awfully pretentious of me to think that; but it's better safe than sorry," he said seriously. His gaze was laser-focused on the narrow alleyway in front of him.

I sat back and nodded. "I understand. I had the same problem in Ireland. I didn't drive much, I walked everywhere," The narrow road widened into the parking lot of Mark's apartment building. He pulled into his parking space and turned off the ignition.

"That's even worse. You can see whose trailing you, and they can tell that it's really you," he said turning to me. "At least in my car, I have tinted windows. People can't tell if it's me or someone else,"

I nodded. "You sure are lucky with that one," I chuckled. "Still...a person should feel safe where they live and in their own home. No one should be a bundle of nerves on their way to their house, looking behind them every few seconds," I said seriously. I looked at Mark with concern.

"Some people don't understand privacy I guess," Mark said with a solemn sigh. I nodded in agreement, "Unfortunately," I said and looked back down at the floor.

We sat in the silent darkness for while. The sun was setting when we left Taco Bell, and it was long gone by now. I turned to look at Mark again. I could still see the glimmer in his eyes, even in the dark of night. It was like a shaky, little match inside a huge, dark cave. They were filled with anxiety and worry.

I felt a spark in my chest. I want to help him. I don't want him to be so paranoid in his own car. I hated seeing him like this; a tensed up mess. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve anything bad that happens to him. I want to protect him from the harsh reality we live in; where good people are stalked to the point of constant fear.

Mark suddenly turned to me. The glimmer in his soft brown eyes glowing a little brighter. I could see a smile form on his face in the dim lights from the apartment windows.

"You like what you see?" He asked with a playful chuckle. I realized that I was still staring at him. I could feel my cheeks grow hot. I quickly looked away.

"Sorry I was spacing off...in your general...direction," I stammered, trying to defend myself. Mark laughed a bit. "Sure you were, Jack."

He checked his watch. "It's 10:30. A little late for you to go home by yourself," Mark pointed out.

I folded my arms across my chest. "You sound like my brother. I'm an adult now. I'm pretty sure I can walk home by myself," I retorted, puffing out my chest defensively.

"Really now?" Mark smirked and folded his arms, "What makes you so sure?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Because I'm a **MAN**. I can punch anyone in the face if they even _think_ about trying anything! Look at these plus one biceps!" I said, flexing my arm.

Mark squinted and adjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry, I can't see anything past this gun show," he said as he flexed his own bicep. It was, admittedly, a _little_ bit bigger than mine. Just a bit!

I scoffed playfully. "Please, I could beat you in an arm wrestling competition any day!" Mark smirked at me.

"Oh reeeally?" He said in his Wilfred Warfstache voice. "I'll have you know that I don't take no shit from no body!" He smiled devilishly as he tapped his fingers together. He looked like an evil genius.

"Come at me bruh!" I said, puffing out my chest again. Mark pointed at me, "You're on! I challenge you to an arm wrestling competition! Loser has to make breakfast!" He shouted and quickly exited the car. I followed after him.

"You're on-wait breakfast?" I said in surprise. Mark laughed and nodded.

"Yeah! I haven't hung out with you in over 4 months! And it's getting late. You might as well stay at my place," he said matter-of-factly.

I raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Really Mark. I live right across the street, I can get home just fine. Didn't we _just have_ this conversation?" But Mark wasn't listening.

"Okay. If I win, you have sleep on my couch," he said. "If you win, you can go home. If you want too. Deal?" He stuck out his hand. I sighed, coming to terms with the fact that there was no arguing with this guy. I shook his hand begrudgingly.

"Deal, but I'm going home tonight," I said and pointed at him menacingly.

Mark smiled widely. "Come at me scrublord, I'm ripped!" He shouted as he ran into the apartment complex.

"Oh you are in for it now!" I shouted and ran inside behind him.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has alcohol use in it, just thought I'd let you know. In case that's a thing that bothers you.  
> But it's kind of important to the story... ^^'
> 
> REGARDLESS! Enjoy this~

"Come on, Mark! That's not fair!" I shouted. The entire building was dead silent and the only sound that could be heard was Mark's laughter. I banged my fists against the wooden door again.

Mark started laughing even harder and I heard a soft _thump_ coming from the other side of the door. I'm assuming he fell on the floor. I tried the handle again, but he had locked it.

"Mark!" I shouted again, only a bit quieter. One of his neighbors had poked their head out into the dark hallway and looked in my direction. I waved shyly and apologized. They just grunted, shook their head, and went back inside.

Suddenly, I had an idea. "Welp!" I exclaimed and clapped my hands together once. "If you aren't gonna open the door, I guess we'll have to postpone this competition,"

His laughter abruptly stopped, and I heard scrambling. "You clearly don't want me around, so I'll just go on home," I continued. I turned on my heel and started to walk away with a huge smirk on my face.

I heard the door open and felt a strong hand reach out and grab the neck of my shirt. I gasped slightly. I was dragged into the apartment and the door slammed shut in front of me. I lost my footing and fell hard on the ground.

"Mark!" I said, rubbing my arse were I had fallen. Mark chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry," he said simply.

He offered his hand to help me up, and I took it. He started laughing again. I rolled my eyes but laughed with him. "You're such an asshole," I said between laughs.

He looked up at me with his brown, puppy dog eyes, still brimming with laughter. "Thanks, I know," he replied. "And you looked so stupid when you fell like that!" He was now holding his stomach and leaning on my shoulder to keep him up. It wasn't all that funny, but Mark's laugh is contagious.

We laughed for a long time, until Mark decided to calm down. It was dark in the apartment. No one had turned on the lights yet. The only light source came from the moonlight filtering through the blinds.

Mark flicked the switch. I squinted. It's like when you're in school, and the teacher has just finished their PowerPoint presentation. They go over, turn on those harsh lights, and the entire class gets blinded. Yeah. That's how I feel right now.

Mark was still smiling as my eyes adjusted to the light. He walked over to the dining room table, cleared a space, and sat down. I sat down across from him and rolled up my sleeve.

"Let's go, Mr. L.A.!" I taunted. He placed his elbow on the table. He grinned, challenging me with his eyes. I placed my own elbow on the table and grabbed his hand tightly.

"On the count of 3," Mark said. "1...23GO!" He said quickly. I had no time to react as he slammed my hand down on the table. He threw his arms up in celebration. "DONE!" He shouted confidently.

"Ow!" I shouted, rubbing the back of my hand. "That's not fair! I DEMAND A REMATCH!" I said. Mark laughed, "Fine, fine. Best 2 out of 3,"

"No! This one is for all the beans!" I said challengingly. I narrowed my eyes with a wide smile, and Mark shrugged. "Fine, but I won't go easy on you," He grabbed my hand again.

"Ready?" I asked. I looked him dead in the eyes, trying to intimidate him. I waited for Mark to nod before I shouted, "GO!"

I struggled against his strong arm. He pushed against mine as hard as he could. We counterbalanced eachother. Our arms shook as I tried to best him. I stared directly into his eyes, glaring at him menacingly. His determinated stare softened for a split second.

I felt his arm give a little, and I took my chance. I mustered up all my strength. I slammed his arm down as hard as I could. The glass bowl containing Mark's car keys rattled from the force of the impact, even though it was on the other side of the table. "I DID IT!" I shouted triumphantly.

"No one can stop ol' Jackaboy!" I cheered and threw my arms into the air. Mark laughed again, and rubbed his hand. "Nice one Jack. Very humble of you," he laughed again.

I held out my hand for a high five. "Good game as always, Mark," I said politely, and Mark high-fives me. The back of his hand was pretty red.

"Oh dude, are you okay?" I asked. I leaned over the table to get a better look at it. Mark chuckled and waved it away. "I'll be fine,"

I grabbed his hand and looked at it. Mark winced for a split second. His knuckles were bright red, and they were already starting to swell. One had a small scrape on it, and it was welling up a little with blood.

"Oh dude, I'm sorry. I'll get you some ice and a band-aid," I said and I got up from the table quickly. Mark grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Jack, it's alright. It's just my hand. Not like it's anything important like my head," he said, trying his best to reassure me. I pulled my arm away from his firm grip.

"Not buying it. Your bleeding, and it's my fault," I walked to his kitchen and opened the freezer. I looked for an ice pack, but all I found was some a bag of frozen blueberries. I shrugged and grabbed those. I wrapped them up in a paper towel and brought it to Mark.

He was looking over his hand. When he saw me coming back, he smiled. "Thanks Jack," he said, and accepted the blueberries politely.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. Mark chuckled and shook his head. "Dude, it's fine. The band-aids are in the medicine cabinet in the downstairs bathroom," he said, and pointed over his shoulder.

I wandered over in that direction. There was a white door under the stairs, which I assumed was the right one. I opened it and felt around for the light switch. I flicked the switch.

The room was clean. Very clean. It even smelled clean (thankfully). The shower had a sliding glass door, but it was mottled so you couldn't see through it. A black towel hung over the top of it, and a little pink moustache was embroidered on it.

 _Must_ _have_ _been_ _by_ _a_ _fan_ _,_ I thought. I looked in the mirror and saw myself. I smiled and waved, then chuckled slightly. "I'm so weird," I said under my breath. I looked around for the medicine cabinet. I noticed that there was a metal handle on the edge of the mirror. I slid the mirror open to reveal three shelves filled with supplies.

There was the normal stuff, like extra tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, Neosporin, and cotton balls. I found the band-aids and picked one out. They were right next to an orange pill bottle. I raised my eyebrow curiously. I peeked out the door to see if Mark was looking before I carefully picked it up to inspect it.

Underneath the normal "name, gender, expiration date" stuff, I discovered that it was just his ADHD medicine. I exhaled, not realizing I was holding my breath. I tried to stay quiet, and I hope he didn't hear me. I don't know what I expected, but I'm somehow relieved.

"Did you find them?" Mark called, jolting me out of my thoughts. I jumped a bit and nearly dropped the bottle. I quickly put it back and closed the door. "Yep! Found 'em!" I called, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

I walked back out to meet him and handed him the band-aid. "Thanks," he said, and he took the frozen berries off his hand. The scrape was still bleeding, and had left a little red stain on the paper towels. Mark put the small bandage on the wound. He continued to ice his swollen hand.

"Well, you won," Mark said. "I guess that means you can go home now."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said and I chuckled softly. A small part of me wanted to go home and relax in my own bed. Then get a head start on recording for tomorrow. "But, since your injured, I suppose I'd better keep you company in case you need anything!" I can't leave Mark. Sure, he's not in any serious damage, but...I'd feel better if I was with him.

Plus, Mark's face lit up like a Christmas tree when I said that. "In that case, how about a drink?" His eyes sparkled happily. I laughed, "Is it because I'm Irish?" I asked sarcastically.

"Pssht. Nooo," Mark said, waving the thought away. But I laughed "I'm just messin' with ya! I wouldn't mind a drink," I said. Mark smiled at me, and I followed him into the kitchen.

* * *

 

"And lost both my shoes in the mud!" I said with a chuckle. Mark threw his head back in laughter, grabbing the kitchen table to steady himself. After I totally kicked his ass in an arm-wrestling competition, and bandaged the wounds I had accidentally inflicted, Mark and I had a couple beers. Well...more than a couple.

Mark held up his index finger, catching his breath, and staggered over to the freezer. "Dude," he said as he rumaged through it before holding up a bottle. "Fireball," he stated. He pulled out a shot glass from the cupboard above the sink. He poured the cinnamon whiskey into the tiny glass.

He offered some to me, but I shook my head. He shrugged, and tipped his head back. He swallowed the shot, shook it off, and grinned. He muscled back a burp. "I once took 5 of these," he said, starting to slur his words. "And then I beat Fuck Nights and FredBoys," he said.

I laughed, "You mean Five Night's at Fuckboy's?" I asked, wiping my eyes of the joy filled tears. I finished off my beer. That's the last one for me. Mark chuckled and started to pour another shot, but I stopped him.

"Hey man, I hate to be a Debby Downer, but you are _drunk_ _as_ _hell_ right now," I said awkwardly. I took the bottle from his hand and screwed the cap back on.

Mark held up his hands to surrender, "I getcha. Ol' Jackaboy is looking after me," he said with a smile. He went to sit down on one of the kitchen stools. However, he missed it and fell hard on his ass.

I couldn't help it. I roared with laughter. I could hear Mark laughing like crazy from the other side of the table. I stumbled around to help him up.

Once he was up, we walked over to the couch and sat down. Mark looked over at me and grinned. He's brown eyes sparkled with a drunken sense of humor.

I'm an Irishman, so I know my alcohol limits. And I fucking meet that limit tonight. But Mark? I'm pretty sure he went over. _Waaaay_ over.

"Mark, you are so wrecked right now," I said, laughing slightly. Mark laughed again, but a little harder this time.

"Y-you know what," he started, squeezing in words between his drunken laughter, "w-what else I a-am?" He asked. I shook my head and shrugged. Mark beamed awkwardly.

"I'm not just w-wrecked. I-I'm _erect_ _,"_ he said. He burst out laughing, even harder then before, at his own dumb joke. And I, being as drunk as I am, laughed with him. "God damnit Mark," I said when I calmed down. I shook my head, but I was still smiling.

Mark ran his hand awkwardly through his black hair. "Floof the hair for power!" He shouted. I chuckled. He was always so stupid when he was drunk; he'll laugh at anything. He has no mental filter when he's like this. What he thinks, he says.

"Let's play a game," he blurted out. I shrugged, "Which one? Minecraft?" I said sarcastically. He shook his head, chuckling.

"No, l-let's play um...," he said, trying to think. He sprawled himself out on the couch, laying his head down on the arm of the couch, and his legs on my lap. I felt my face growing warm. Now that I think of it, it's really warm in here. I took of my sweatshirt and threw it over the back of the couch.

"Uh, let's play Duth or Tare," Mark finished. I laughed. "Truth or Dare?" I asked with a little smile. Mark nodded and looked at me, "D-didn't I just say that?" He asked, hiccuping, and I shook my head with a laugh.

He laughed with me, of course since that's all he can do when he's this drunk, then pointed at me, "Y-you first. Truth or Dare," he asked. I felt like a teenage girl at a slumber party with her friends. I adjusted my postion on the couch, so I was laying down as well. Mark's feet were by my head, and my feet were by his.

"Uh, dare," I said confidently. Let's start this game off right! Mark smirked evilly. Suddenly I got slightly nervous about what he'd say. "I dare you too....pick t-three random f-foods outta my fridge and make a s-sandwich outta 'em," he slurred.

I sighed and got up. Mark rolled over onto his belly so he could watch. I shuffled over to the fridge and pulled the door open. I closed my eyes, fumbled around, and grabbed three things.

I could hear Mark laughing like crazy in the living room, so I assume I picked some nasty stuff. I gulped, almost afraid to see what horrible things I had picked. I cautiously opened my eyes. "Oh come on!" I shouted in disgust, throwing my hands in the air.

I had picked horseradish, a half-eaten Milky Way bar, and a piece of left-over pizza. Mark was laughing so hard I swear he was going to pass out.

"Why didn't you finish this!?" I shouted at him, holding up the Milky Way. Mark just shrugged and continued laughing.

I sighed and turned back to my ingredients. I unwrapped the candy bar and put it on the pizza. I took a spoon and begrudgingly plopped a dollap of horseradish on top of it all. I grabbed a paper plate and the trash can and walked back into the living room.

"I fuckin' hate you, Mark," I said with a nervous laugh. Mark was smiling from ear to ear. I took a seat beside him again, the trash can between my legs. As I stared at my horrendous 'sandwich', I shuddered at the thought of eating it.

"Tell my Ma I love her!" I said dramatically and took a bite. Instantly the sour taste of horseradish flooded my mouth. Followed soon after by the sweet caramel and a hint of fire from the spicy pepperoni.

I gagged, and spit it out immediately into the trash. Without hesitation, I dropped the rest of the disgusting 'food' into the can. I ran into the kitchen again and stuck my head under facet in the sink. I opened my mouth wide and turned it on, letting the refreshing water cleanse my palette.

"Oh my god that's the worst thing I've ever tasted!" I cried, rinsing my mouth out with the water. I would occasionally spit to completely rid my mouth of that awful taste. Mark, however, had fallen off of the couch because he was laughing so hard.

I poured myself a tall glass of water and sat on the couch again. "Fuck you, Mark," I said, but I laughed a bit. Once Mark had calmed down and climbed back onto the couch, I asked him, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he said, without a second thought. I tried to think of something. "I dare you...," I started. I looked around the room for something that I could make him do. I spotted a book on the coffee table, and pointed at it eagerly.

"I dare you to flip to a random page in that book and reenact the first scene you read," I said. Mark raised an eyebrow.

"That's eeeeasy," he said nonchalantly. He leaned over to pick up the book. I took a sip of my water and placed it on the coffee table. _He's_ _gonna_ _look_ _like_ _such_ _an_ _idiot_ _._ I thought happily to myself.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and flipped to a random passage in the book. He opened his eyes, read it to himself, and smiled widely. He sat up on the couch. He looked at me, and smirked. His eyes sparkled mischievously.

It dawned on me that I didn't check the name of the book. Why didn't I read the title first!? Mark scooted a little closer to me.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. I tried to peek over his shoulder at the book, but he was purposefully blocking it.

"Sooo," he said calmly. "Do you wanna practice kissing?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "What!?" I exclaimed. I desperately tried to look past him, to catch a glimpse at the cover. "Mark, what book is that!" I asked anxiously. He leaned back to grab the book and held it up for me to see.

 _Middlesex_ by Jeffery Eugenides.

My eyes widened again, and I felt my palms get really sweaty. "Okay, I take that back! I return the dare!" I said, blushing madly. I read that book in college, and I know what scene this is.

Mark shook his head as he stood up and sat on my lap. "Too late now!" He smirked. I felt my face grow hotter than the sun. He grabbed the sides of my cherry red face gently. A smile danced on his face.

"Okay Mark, no m-means no!" I said, trying to push him away, starting to panic a bit. "You don't have to do the dare!" His cheeks were dusted pink, and he smiled widely. He pulled my face closer to his. I tried to push him back. "M-Mark you're dru-"

He pushed his lips against mine in a forceful kiss. My face flooded with color. He was very _very_ passionate about this; it was like he had read the same scene a hundred times before. I was in shock. My eyes were wide open, staring into his brown eyes. They were like smooth chocolate. Truly eye candy.

He pushed his lips a little closer to mine, if that's even possible. My heart started beating a mile a minute. His lips grew a little softer, and sweeter. He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "You're supposed to kiss me back,"

He closed his eyes, and moved his hands down around my neck, pushing himself closer to me. I realized that he wasn't letting me go until I played along. So...I did.

I pushed my lips against his, a little too forcefully. I felt a smile spread on Mark's face. I closed my own eyes tightly. We were so close. I could feel his chest right up against mine; I was pressed up against the cushioned back of the couch. His lips started to gently massage mine. Finally, after about another minute, Mark pulled away. I opened my eyes again, and looked straight into his.

"Your breath tasted like pizza," He smirked, and his eyes sparkled. He was breathing heavily. I hadn't had the chance to take a proper breath since he had first pushed his face against mine. I took deep breaths. My face was still burning up, yet I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Mark ran his fingers through his hair again, got off of my lap, and sat back on the couch again. "Truth or Dare, Jack," Mark said, acting like nothing had really happened. I stared straight ahead, still shocked at what _had_ happened. My hands were shaking, and my mouth felt like sandpaper. I picked up my glass.

My thoughts were a scrambled up mess. I tried to think of something to say. "T-truth," I said, finally. I took a drink of water before he responded.

Mark smirked. "Did you like it?" He asked calmly. He seemed awfully sober all of a sudden. I nearly spit out the water, but I muscled it down.

I looked over at him. He looked so different to me know. I'm not sure why. He seemed to have this...energy around him that confused and delighted me somehow. I desperately searched for an answer, but I couldn't think of one. My mouth, however, could.

"Can we do that again?" I heard myself say. I surprised myself, and quickly covered my mouth. Mark, who looked just as shocked himself, smiled awkwardly.

"I think that's enough for today," he said. He stood up and handed me a blanket and a pillow. Then he waved at me with a small smile, turned off the lights in the living room, and stumbled up the stairs to his own room.

"G'night, Jack," he said and I heard his bedroom door close. "G-good night Mark," I muttered.

I lay my head down on the pillow and stared up into the darkness, still trying to process what had just happened. But one sentence was stuck in my head. It played on repeat like an annoying broken record:

 _Can_ _we_ _do_ _that_ _again_ _?_

* * *

 

I was woken up by a cold draft. I slowly opened my eyes, and was greeted by a harsh light. I squinted against it and looked for my blanket, which had  _conveniently_  fallen onto the floor. I picked it up and pulled it over my shoulders again. I rolled over and closed my eyes.

My head felt tense. It didn't hurt exactly, but it felt like someone was gently squeezing my head between their two large hands. Not to mention, my mouth was super dry. I tried to fall back asleep, but for the first time in ages I actually couldn't. I checked my watch.

7:59 am. I groaned and pulled my blanket over my head. I couldn't sleep for just one more minute could I?

I wanted to go back to that dream I had. It was weird...and it felt so real. It couldn't have been. Mark would never do something like that, even if he was hammered as fuck or on a dare...would he? No. Without a doubt, he wouldn't. He said so himself in a livestream: Markiplier is not gay or bisexual.

I shook my head gently, brushing the thought aside. Its over and done with now, and it was just a dream. I slowly sat up, trying not to give myself a head rush. I rubbed my eyes sleepily, and opened them again. I let my eyes adjust to the morning sunlight for the second time.

I looked around calmly. Suddenly, I realized that I wasn't sleeping in my bed. I wasn't even in my own house. I was on a black, vinyl couch in a white living room. My eyes widened in confusion, _What_ _the_ _fu_ _-_

The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted me mid-thought. I gasped and quickly hid under the blanket again. I pulled it over my head, trying to melt into the couch.

I peeked out to see the source of the sound, without it seeing me. My heart was pounding steadily and nervously. I saw Markiplier, thumping down the stairs groggily. From what I could see, he was wearing pajama pants with his logo all over them. I heard him yawn.

 _I'm_ _in_ _Mark's_ _house_ _,_ I thought, slowly connecting the puzzle pieces in my head. _Wait_ _._ _Did_ _he_ _really-_ _?_

Then he started coming closer to the couch. I squeezed my eyes closed, even though I know he couldn't see my face. His footsteps came closer and closer until I heard him stop just behind the couch. I waited, trying to be as silent as possible. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating madly inside my chest.

Mark muttered something quietly; I wasn't able to hear exactly what he had said. All I could make out was "...Jackaboy...when..sleeping..."

I heard him lean over the back of the couch. A hand patted my shoulder softly. I did everything in my power not to flinch in surprise. He rested his hand on my shoulder for a bit longer, then I heard him get up, and walk away.

I carefully opened one eye and peeked out from underneath the stuffy blanket. He was gone. I heard him shuffle into the kitchen. There was a small click, the sounds of a refrigerator door opening and closing, and the faint rustle of coffee grounds in a filter.

From where I was laying, I could see Mark in the kitchen just fine wihout him seeing me. My heart had calmed down a bit, and I was more aware of my surroundings. I noticed Mark's perfectly tanned skin.

My face was flooded with color at the sight. I've seen Mark without a shirt multiple times, thanks to Tumblr and a couple of his videos, and I've never blushed before. In fact, I was never really phased by them at all. But today, for some odd reason, I was. _Could_ _it_ _have_ _been_ _the_ _dream_ _?_ _What_ _is_ _going_ _on_ _?_ _Were_ _the_ _Septiplier_ _shippers_ _right_ _!?_

My mind was racing. Thoughts were running around in my head like headless chickens. I couldn't think straight, and to top it all off, I started getting a headache. My brain was in a state of panic and chaos. Suddenly, it all disappeared.

The thought of Mark, sitting on my lap, his lips pressed against mine in a passionate kiss popped into my head. I felt my face grow bright red. Mark turned around and sat down at the kitchen table. He pulled out his phone, and started to tap away. I drew the blanket over my eyes, not willing to look at Mark's exposed chest at the moment.

My heart raced again. I needed to calm down. I heard a little beep, a moment of silence, and then shuffling. A cupboard opened and closed, and two mugs clacked together. A heard the soft sound of coffee being poured into a coffee mug. Then, footsteps. Mark was coming back this way.

I forced myself to calm down. I took a deep breath, and exhaled quietly. My heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

Mark set the mugs down on the coffee table and sat in a chair beside my head. He sipped his coffee as quietly as he could. He sat there, sipping his coffee, for a while. I don't know why I was still hiding. My heart was beating in my ears. It sounded like it was saying "wake up, wake up, wake up".

I _wanted_ to "wake up" and talk with him. I just didn't know what to say. I sighed inaudibly. I uncovered my head discreetly, and rolled over onto my back.

Mark looked over at me quickly. "Good morning," he said calmly. I stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I mumbled, "Good morning, Mark," It felt weird talking to someone as soon as I woke up. I'm usually the only person in my house in the mornings.

"How did you sleep?" Mark asked, taking another sip of coffee. I shrugged. He picked up the other mug of coffee and offered it to me. I sat up, took the warm mug from his hands, and thanked him. He smiled back at me.

We sat there, in the living room, silently sipping our coffee. Mark rubbed his temple with two fingers. I tried not to look at his exposed chest.

"Soooo," Mark said, just trying to break the painfully awkward silence between us.

"So...you don't happen to remember what happened last night, do you?" I asked bluntly.

Mark sat up a little straighter. "I don't know; I think it was just a dream," he said, taking another sip of his coffee. He rubbed his temple once more and winced. He must be hungover. Serves him right for drinking way over his limit.

I nodded. "Yeah, I do too. In my dream, you kissed me," I stared down at my own mug. My face felt like it was as hot as my drink. Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Y-yeah same here," he said quietly.

I shot up and looked at him in surprise, "Are you serious? So it was _real_ _?_ " He took a while to respond. He drank his coffee, trying not to make direct eye contact. He placed his mug on the coffee table and turned to me.

"Did you like it?" He stared right into my eyes. My eyes widened. I looked at the floor. My mind went blank, and all I could think of was last night. I did my best to think about the kiss specifically, and how it felt. It was different and awkward, but also tender and pleasantly passionate. I nodded slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Mark sighed heavily, like he had been holding his breath as he waited for my response. "That's good," he said, with the same small smile on his face. His cheeks were a rosy pink.

I looked back up at him. "Mark...," I started cautiously, "I thought...you weren't gay. O-or bi," I said. I sipped my coffee, still maintaining eye contact with him.

He blinked, the smile slowly draining from his face. "I'm not. At least, I thought I wasn't. I'm not to sure anymore...," he trailed off. He ran his fingers through his hair, like he does whenever he's anxious.

I shifted in my seat. "Dude, we've all questioned our sexuality at some point. And it's totally okay if you are! I'm just, you know...curious," I said, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.

Mark just nodded, staring at his empty coffee cup. He held his face in his hands for a while. After a few quiet moments, he checked his watch. "I can take you home if you want," he offered quietly. I looked at my own watch. 9:37 a.m. Has it really been two hours since I woke up?

Mark shrugged, "I mean, you don't have to leave right now or anything. I just thought I'd put that out there," he said as he stood up. He picked up his empty coffee mug and shuffled to the kitchen. I nodded.

"Mark, you know what I just remembered?" I asked, turning to look at him. He stopped and turned to face me. I pointed at him and smirked. "You lost the arm wrestling competition, which means that YOU have to fix breakfast!" I smiled widely, triumphantly sipping my hot morning drink.

He chuckled, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. How does waffles sound?" He asked with a smile, as he set his cup in the sink and pulled a waffle iron out of the cupboard. "Hell yeah!" I said excitedly, and rushed over to the kitchen table.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's got a little bit of homophobic language in it, but only one word. Soo there's the warning and I'm sorry in advance! I don't like writing homophobia, but it was kinda important..
> 
> ALSO! Melly's shoes! I actually have a pair like them that I painted myself! If you wanna see what they look like, here's a link:  
> http://melchiorflyer.deviantart.com/art/JSE-and-Markiplier-Custom-Shoes-567078263  
> I painted those a whole year ago! That's crazy..I'm glad they still fit! I invested to much time into those.

 

"G'morning Jack!" Melly said with a smile from behind the cash register.

I smiled and tipped my hat to her. "Top o' the mornin' to ya, Melly!" I gave her a high five on my way to the staff room. She walked with me, her hands folded behind her back.

"How was your week?" She asked. A small smile spread across my face. She chuckled. "Pretty good, I'd guess! You did a lot of collabs with Mark!" Melly was one of my most active fans. She always had a comment about a video, but preferred to tell me in person. She knew it made me smile every time.

I looked at her, smiling. "It was good, yeah! I met a fan at Taco Bell, and Wal-mart when I was grocery shopping," Mel grinned. The bell over the door tinkled, and she ran off to help the customer, waving at me.

I reached the staff room and changed into my work clothes. It has been an eventful week. After breakfast on Monday morning, Mark walked me home. He stopped by on Wednesday afternoon to say hello, and we ended up playing Super Smash Brothers on my new WiiU for 3 hours. He drove me to work today on his way to the Grumpspace. He recently set up his own little recording space, and makes most of his videos there now.

I reached around and tied my apron in the back. I walked out of the staff room and over to Melly again. "Need help?" I asked as she prepared a tall iced latte. She looked up and smiled at me.

"Yes please. It got busy all of a sudden.  
Tables 1 and 4 haven't ordered yet. Can you check on them please?" She asked politely. I nodded She smiled thankfully and went back to work.

I walked over to Table 1, where a grey-haired old woman sat. I pulled out my notepad and pen. "Hi, I'm Sean and I'll be your server today. What can I get you?" I asked, readying my pen.

The woman adjusted her glasses, squinting at the menu. "I want an omelette with some coffee, please. No cream or sugar," she said without even looking up.

"Will that be all for you?" I asked, and the woman nodded. "Alright, I'll be back with your order soon," I told her pleasantly and walked over to Suzy.

"Good morning, Suzy," I said cheerfully. She responded with a silent tip of her head. I tore off the order slip and handed it to her. My mouth watered at the delightful aroma of bacon and maple syrup pouring out of the kitchen. The scent filled the entire diner. It smelled so much better than the instant oatmeal I had for breakfast.

The door bell tinkled again. I looked over. There were a couple of young boys and a tired mother standing at the register. Melly and I exchanged glances and I nodded. She smiled, and went to go take Table 4's order. I walked over to the front desk, leaving the delicious smelling kitchen behind me.

"Hello! Table for three?" I asked. The mother nodded briefly. "Right this way," I said, grabbing a couple kids menus on my way over. The woman gathered up her excited kids and I led them to a booth by the window.

"Alright, my name is Sean and I'll be your server today. Can I get you any drinks to get started?" I asked when they had sat down. The mom ordered a cup of coffee. I turned to her boys who were stared at me. They looked surprised. The blonde one had his mouth slightly agape. "And for y-," I started.

"JackSepticEye?" The open-mouthed kid said. I smiled widely. "Top o' the mornin' to ya, laddies!" I replied with a wink. The boys exchanged looks of excitement and then turned back to me with the widest smiles they could manage. The mom raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Like a boss!" The boys shouted together. I laughed and gave them high fives. They ordered lemonade, and I waved goodbye to them. As I left, I heard the mom ask her kids "what that was all about". I couldn't help but chuckle.

I went into the kitchen to get their drinks, and the bell tinkled again. I peeked my head out the door to see Melly scamper over to seat the new customers. After I got the beverages, I turned around and bumped into Billy. He was carrying a large tub of dirty dishes. "Watch it, Sean!" He said angrily. The lemonade in my hands spilt on the floor. "Now I have to clean that mess up!" He grunted and stomped away.

I huffed in annoyance. "Now I have to clean that up," I mimicked quietly, sticking my tongue out. I poured two new cups of lemonade. "Screw you, Billy," I muttered.

I delivered the drinks to their owners. The boys asked me for a picture, and to sign a napkin. I eagerly agreed. The mother thanked me afterwards.

* * *

 

The morning rush had calmed down. Melly sighed, thoroughly exhausted. "Go take a break, Mel. I'll handle it from here," I told her. She looked up at smiled at me. "Thank you so much, Jack," she said and shuffled off to the break room, barely picking up her feet.

"Order for Table 15!" Suzy called, ringing the little bell on the counter. I grabbed the two heavy trays. I relished in the lingering scent from the kitchen, then carried the trays over to the table.

"Alright, we've got a stack of pancakes, biscuits and gravy, The Breakfast Sampler, breakfast burrito, and a ham and cheese croissant," I listed, carefully placing the trays down one at a time. "Will that be all for you?"

"Yes, thank you Jack," Mark replied. I looked up from my tray. A smile spread across my face. Once again, Mark had surprised me at work. But today he had brought along some friends.

"Hey Jack," Ross said with a smirk. Danny, Arin, Kevin, and Ross from the Game Grumps sat around the table with Markiplier. Dan was chuckling, and Arin was eyeing his food hungrily. Kevin waved silently.

"Wh-ah..hey guys!" I said rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. I was excited to see them, don't get me wrong, but I've never seen them here before. Well, I had never seen Mark here before that day I suppose..."What made you come here today?" I asked.

Dan pointed at Mark. "Ask him. He told us that you worked here, and we decided to come for breakfast," he explained. Mark's cheeks were dusted pink again. I'm sure I was the only one that noticed.

"Oh! Well good choice!" I said chuckling. Suzy rang the bell again and called out "Order for Table 7!"

"Ah that's my cue. I'll talk to you guys later!" I said, waving at everyone. I locked eyes with Mark for a brief moment, then turned and walked away. My cheeks felt a little warm. I felt his gaze on the back of my neck as I left. I couldn't help but smile a little as I cast a sideways glance at him.

He was eating his croissant, listening to one of Dan's stories. He laughed. His voice carried over everyone else's. He kept his soft brown eyes on me the whole time, a little spark of a smile in each one.

I smiled a little more as I collected the food for Table 7.

* * *

 

I sat on the edge of my bed, typing rapidly on my phone. After a few moments I pressed send, and put my phone down. I checked my watch: 7:30 on Saturday morning. Begrudgingly I stretched my arms, ran my hand through my hair, and sighed. I can't sit around all day and answer comments, unfortunately. There was work to be done.

I stood up reluctantly. Sunlight peeked through the blinds, causing striped shadows to dance across my room. I picked a pair of jeans up off the floor. I cautiously smelled them. My nose scrunched up at the smell, so I tossed them in my nearly overflowing laundry basket.

I opened my closet door and lazily sifted through my clean shirts. I grabbed the first one I saw and a random pair of pants, and staggered into the bathroom. Replacing my pajama pants with black jeans, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I furrowed my brow. I looked very tired. It has been a busy week. Tons of recording, hanging out with Mark, and working at the café all at the same time was getting a little energy draining. A sharp knock at my front door made me jump. I cautiously walked towards it. I peeked through the peephole. Mark's face looked distorted through the lense, like one of his Photobooth videos. I snickered.

"Hey Mark!" I smiled as I opened the door. Mark smiled back, and waved. I shivered. "Jeez, it's a cold morning. Come in," I said and closed the door behind him.

Mark poked my chest lightly. "Just a little nippy, huh Jack?" He said laughing. I looked down. My white t-shirt was still in my hands, my chest exposed.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "I get it. Haha, nippy," I said sarcastically. "Just making sure I'm twisty fresh!" I called as I walked into the kitchen. I heard Mark laughing as he flopped on my couch. I threw my shirt over my shoulder, not bothering to put it on.

"Hey, I've gotta get ready for work. Can you make some coffee please?" I asked politely. I heard Mark get up from his seat and walk into the kitchen. He ruffled my already messy hair and smiled. "Of course. But it'll cost ya," he smirked.

"Come on man, it's my coffee!" I groaned. Mark grabbed my shirt off my shoulder and held it above his head. I reached up to grab it, but Mark pulled it away

"Seriously Mark. This won't work. I'm taller than you," I said deadpan, crossing my arms. Mark stuck out his tongue. "Not by much!" He pointed out, and held the shirt as high as he could. I tried to take it back.

Mark was too fast. He jumped out of the way just before I could grab it. "Mark!" I shouted, starting too get little annoyed. He knows I'm not a morning person. Mark just chuckled. I sighed and started to walk away.

"You're giving up already, Jack?" He teased. "Don't you want your co-OOF!" I quickly turned around and tackled him to the ground. I struggled as I tried to take my shirt back. Mark laughed, doing his best to keep the shirt out of my reach. We rolled over a couple times before I quickly swiped the white shirt from his grip. I tried to get up, but Mark had wrapped his arms around me tightly. I was stuck. He had bound my arms to my sides. I squirmed helplessly.

Mark laughed as I struggled to get away. "Come on Mark! I need to go to work!" I complained. He finally let go and I quickly stood up. I pulled on my shirt before he could take it away again. A brief look of disappointment flashed in Mark's eyes as he stood up.

He sighed with a faint smile, "I'll make your coffee," he said as I walked to the bathroom. "Thank you!' I called to him. I heard the coffee grounds being poured into the filter. I looked in the mirror again and washed my face. I ran my hands through my hair, sprayed on some deodorant, then walked back to the kitchen.

"Gotcha!" Mark exclaimed. He jumped out from behind the bathroom door. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I couldn't move my arms. Again. "Come on Mark! What's gotten into you? Are you drunk again?" I said as I pulled away from his embrace. I stared into his brown eyes, searching for something. However, he looked as sober as could be.

Mark rubbed the back of his neck. "Wh-nothing. No. Why would you think that?" He stuttered. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes in confusion. "You're being a lot more...touchy-feely than normal," I said awkwardly. "You have been ever since Monday morning. What is going on?"

Mark sighed. He shrugged and walked into the kitchen. I grabbed his wrist and he turned to face me in surprise. I stared straight into his eyes. "Mark. What is going on." I repeated.

He looked away. I kept staring at him. "I won't let go until you tell me," I said softly. He looked back at me hesitantly. "I wouldn't lie to you Jack," he started slowly. "But I can't tell you right now. You've got to get to work,"

He pulled his hand loose and handed me my Attack on Titan mug. He walked over to my front door. "You're driving me to work, you goober. Why can't you just tell me in the car?" I said as I pulled on my shoes.

Mark silently opened the door for me and we walked to his car. "Mark," I said sternly, falling just a bit behind him. He unlocked the blue car doors. He sat behind the wheel and started the car. I opened the passenger side door and got in.

"Mark," I repeated, a little more stern, as I buckled in. I stared at him, waiting for an answer. His eyes were full of emotions: confusion, anxiety, courage, and something else I couldn't completely understand. Mark took a deep breath. I urged him a little more, "Please tell me wh-,"

"Jack, I'm not sure how I feel about you. I'm not sure if we're just friends or more than that. I know we only kissed once, and I might just be jumping to conclusions, but I need to know. What do you think we are right now?" Mark said quickly. He looked at me nervously. His eyes searched desperately for an answer.

I don't know what to say. So I chuckled. "Well, of course we're friends!" I said, nudging him playfully. He stared at me desperately. He was looking for a different answer. Did he think we were more than 'just friends'? Does he really feel that way about me?

Mark sighed and started his car. We pulled out of the parking lot without a word. I stared at my hands quietly, trying to understand what we really are.

We sat in dead silence the whole drive. Occasionally I would look up at Mark. Every time I looked, his expression would change. The first time, his brow was furrowed; the second, he would be chewing on the inside of his cheek. It was always a subtle change, but I would notice. I was deep in thought, carefully trying to pick out the right words to say.

"I'm sorry," he said inaudibly as we finally pulled into the parking lot. I looked up at him. He was looking down at the wheel. His face was hard to read this time. I looked at him, my eyes filled with concern and confusion. "It's...I...s-see ya later," I stuttered. I quickly got out of the blue car. Mark continued to stare at the wheel solemnly without another word.

I felt like such an asshole, walking towards the door of the diner while Mark sat in his little blue car, sulking quietly. Possibly regretting what he had said. I regretted what I had done, and I didn't even know what that was. We were clueless. Clueless about our feelings and clueless about each other. I reached for the door handle and looked back at him. His head was placed in his hands. The car was still running. I looked at the door, then back at him. A part of me wanted to run back to him and try to comfort him. The other part wanted to be a responsible adult and get to work on time.

I took a couple cautious steps towards his car. I still didn't know _exactly_ what I'd say. I didn't know what I could do that would console him. I still didn't know the answer to his question. I stopped. His shoulders were hunched, his head resting on the steering wheel.

I stared at him hopelessly. Mark, _I_ _don't_ _know_ _._ _I_ _really_ _don't_ _know_ _anymore_ _..._ I thought, internally rehearsing what I would say. _We_ _are_ _friends_ _,_ _of_ _course_ _._ _But_ _..._ As I took another step towards him, I heard the bell above the diner entrance jingle and a hand grabbed my collar.

"Jack! There you are! You're almost late! This rush is insane right now! I need all the help I can get!" Melly said anxiously as she dragged me into the diner. She pushed me towards the staff room. I desperately looked over my shoulder, trying to get one last glance at Mark, but to no avail.

"Quickly! Go, get ready! I'm _dying_ out here!" She said. Someone rang the front desk bell. "I'm coming!" Melly called, giving me one last shove before she ran to help them. I turned around and looked through the big window in the front of the diner. Mark's car was gone. I felt my stomach sink way down. I slumped over.

I pushed open the staff door slowly. _W_ _hat have I done? ....What have I_ not _done..._

* * *

 

"Phew! Glad that's over!" Melly said, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. I nodded with a small smile as I counted out change for the last morning rush customer.

"Thank you very much, and have a nice day!" I said calmly, handing him the money. The businessman nodded. "As to you," he replied. The bell above the door rang lazily as he left. I sat back on the stool behind the cash register. I ran my hands through my hair.

The diner was quiet. No one inside except those who worked here. I begrudgingly got up and walked over to where the businessman had sat. Table 15. Mark's table.

I hadn't forgotten about what had happened. I tried to keep my mind off it all morning. I worked especially hard. Mark's "I'm sorry" still nagged at the back of my mind like a fly trapped in the window. I sighed heavily.

The businessman had left me a tip. $5. I picked up the bill and slid it into one of the side pockets on my apron, with my other tips.

I have to make it up to him. I have to fix my mistake. I need to tell Mark how I feel. Even if....even if I don't know. He had the guts to tell me, and I wasn't brave enough to tell him. I'm a coward. I'm an asshole for crushing his confidence like that.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a tub to put the dirty dishes in. As I walked out, I passed Melly. She followed me, at a respectful distance, to Table 15. For a while, she didn't say anything. She just watched me clean the table. After I had put all the dishes in the bucket, I wiped the table down. Twice, then three times. I wiped down the sides as well, in case the man had accidentally spilt syrup on it.

"Jack," Melly finally said, very softly and gently. "I think it's clean now,"

I looked up at her and smiled awkwardly. "Oh. Yeah I guess so," I ran my fingers through my hair again with a nervous laugh. I inspected the table one last time before picking up the tub of dishes and walking into the kitchen.

"Jack, are you alright? You've been working really hard today. Maybe you need a break," Melly's voice was laced with concern. I pushed through the kitchen doors.

"I'm fine, Mel," I lied. I dumped the dishes into the giant sink in the back, leaving Billy to clean them. "No, you're not," Melly replied, crossing her arms. "You always work a lot harder when something's bothering you," she tapped her foot slightly.

I dropped the tub off with the others and walked out of the kitchen again. "Really! I'm fine," I repeated. Melly furrowed her brows, but said nothing. She followed me out again.

I grabbed the gum scrapper and a small metal bucket from the backroom. I carried them over to Table 15. Melly followed in silence. Normally, she'll leave me alone and sit at the front desk, playing on her phone. She only followed if she wanted to talk.

I crawled underneath the table and began scrapping the multicolored wads of chewed-up gum off the bottom. "Jack," Melly repeated softly. "Did something happen....something bad?" She asked hesitantly. I didn't reply. A large wad of blue gum fell into the bucket.

Melly sat down at the table, carefully keeping her legs out of my way. "I'm sorry," she said gently, "for whatever happened. It's none of my business to ask," I stopped scrapping for a second. I stared at her feet absentmindedly.

She wore a pair of canvas shoes that she had painted herself. She was an artist; a rather nice one at that, though she would never admit it. The right shoe had Septiceye Sam on the top, and "JackSepticEye" written on the side. The heel said "Like a Boss", and it was covered in various quotes of mine. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

The left shoe had....Mark's logo on the top, and Tiny Box Tim on the side. I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. "I like your shoes," I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear me. I scrapped off a piece of gum. Melly shifted her feet slightly. "Th-thank you," she stammered. I peeked up at her face.

She had a huge, proud smile on her face. Her cheeks were a dusty pink. I smiled a bit myself. I scrapped off the last few pieces of gum, then crawled out from under the table.

Melly looked up at me, wearing a smaller smile. I sighed, placing the gross bucket on the ground by my feet and sat next to her. "It's a long story," I said hesitantly. Melly placed her arms on the table and looked at me carefully and intently.

I took a deep breath. "W-well a friend of mine-," The tinkling of the front door bell interrupted me. I sat up straight and turned around to see who it was. I sighed in disappointment when I saw a couple of teenage girls walking towards the front desk. I don't know what I expected. _Mark_ _._ _Of_ _course_ _I_ _expected_ _Mark,_ I thought.

I stood up. "Oh come on!" Melly said, throwing her arms in the air in mock-frustration. She giggled a bit. "I'll take the bucket if you'd like," I shook my head, "I'll get it. You can have these ones,"

Melly's eyes widened. "Uh no you can have 'em," she said quickly. She grabbed the small bucket and hurried into the backroom before I had a chance to protest.

I walked over to the desk and greeted the girls with a fake smile. I tried my best to look genuine. "Hello, and welcome to the Other Side Café! Table for two?" I asked, grabbing two menus. The blonde girl shook her head, "No, actually a table for three. We're waiting on one more," She said. Her friend looked over at her and squinted her eyes.

"But Jen, it's just-oh!" The other one said, as the blonde girl shot her a death glare. I rolled my eyes silently at the exchange. Thankfully they didn't see me. "Right this way," I said, grabbing another menu for this "third person".

The girls sashayed behind me. I heard them whisper to each other. They giggled. I rolled my eyes again. I stopped at Table 3, setting their menus down. The girls sat down at the booth, across from each other. Their seat was right behind the door and the front windows.

"I'm Sean, and I'll be your server today. Can I get any drinks started for you while you wait?" I asked, pulling out my notepad and a pen.

"Diet Dr. Pepper for both of us," the blonde, Jen, said. I wrote it down and nodded. "I'll be right back," Turning away from them.

"Oh, Se-an!" Called one of the girls sweetly before I left. I sighed softly and walked back to them. "I forgot to ask," Jen said, batting her lashes, "I don't want any ice in my drink."

I nodded again and walked away once more. I noticed Melly peeking out of the backroom nervously. "Jack!" She hissed at me, keeping an eye on the girls. She motioned for me to come over.

"What?" I asked, standing just outside the door. "Do you know them?" I said, motioning at the annoyingly stereotypical girls. Melly nodded quickly.

"That's Jen and Gigi. They are the cheerleaders at my school. Absolute bitches," she spat. I huffed. "Of course they are," I looked back at them. Jen was applying another layer of pink lipstick.

"They're seniors in my class," Melly continued. "Watch out for them. They want to get in everyone's pants. I'm pretty sure they have too," she pulled me into the the backroom sharply. I gasped. She smoothed down my collar, where she had pulled. "S-sorry! Gigi looked over here," she stuttered.

"Mel, thanks for telling me, but I've got to get back to work. I've got this," I said reassuringly. Mel sighed and nodded. "I know. I'll be in here," she said, flicking in the single, dim light in the room. I rolled my eyes, and left the room. I turned around to see her peeking out through the blinds. She waved awkwardly, and I chuckled.

I brought the girls their drinks. "Are you ready to order, or do you want to wait for the last person?" I asked. Jen and Gigi exchanged silent glances. "We'll order now," Jen said, flicking her hair behind he shoulder.

I pulled out my notepad again. "What can I get you?" I said, readying my pen. Jen tapped her finger on the the table delicately. "Can I get a salad with low-fat ranch on the side?" I nodded and wrote it down. Gigi twirled her curled brown locks in her finger. "I'll have a bacon burger. Extra sauce,"

I nodded, slightly surprised at Gigi's order. I wrote it down. "Is that all for you?" I asked.

"Yes," Jen said. "Oh, your accent. Are you from Scotland?" She said cluelessly. I took a deep breath. "No," I said as I exhaled in annoyance, "I'm from Ireland,"

"Oh!" Jen said, putting her manicured hand up to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said. She sounded fake. "It's fine," I said, waving it away. "Happens all the time. I'll be back with your order," I said, turning towards the kitchen.

I felt a firm hand stop me and pull me down. I fell onto the seat beside Jen. "So tell me, Sean. What part of Ireland are you from?" She said as she seductively batted her lashes. I tried to get up, but she pulled me down again. "Um, the middle," I said unspecifically. She didn't care anyways. She twirled her fingers through my hair.

"I'm sure you girls are hungry. I'll go get your food," I said anxiously. I tried to get up again but Jen pushed me down once more.

"We don't mind. Why don't you hang out for a bit?" She asked. She got close to my ear and whispered, "We've got time," My palms started to sweat. Her breath felt hot in my ear. She got closer to my face. Gigi had gotten up and sat beside me I was squished between two sex-crazy senior girls.

Their faces got closer to mine. I looked at them both. "So what do you say, Sean?" They asked in unison. They seemed to drag out the 'S' in my name like snakes. My knees were shaking. I was starting to sweat even more now. I started to talk, my voice shaking, "I don't think this is le-,"

Jen grabbed the sides of my face and pressed her pointed nose against mine. Suddenly, she pushed her lips into mine. I panicked. I shoved her away. My mind was racing. _Where is_ _Melly_ _when_ _you_ _need_ _her?!_ Jen gasped angrily.

"What the hell?!" She shouted loudly. I heard the backroom door open. I looked around. Her eyes were blazing with fury. Gigi looked at me angrily, but not as bat-shit crazy as Jen. I tried to stand up, but Gigi had blocked the way. I heard Melly running towards the booth. Jen looked at me for an answer. My mind was racing, and I was sweating buckets now.

"What's your problem?" Jen asked again, staring at me wildly. I couldn't think straight. One last thing popped into my head. It was a long shot but-

"I have a boyfriend!" I shouted. Melly had appeared just in time to hear my confession. Her eyes widened. Jen's jaw dropped in disgust. Gigi quickly got up and sat on the other side of the table again, as far away from me as she could.

Jen pushed me away. I quickly got up, bumping into Melly, and quietly apologizing. Jen stood up, and stared me straight in the face. "I can't believe I kissed an Irish _fag_!" She spat and marched out the front door. Gigi ran after her.

Melly placed her hand on my shoulder. "J-Jack?" She stuttered. I turned to her slowly. "Mel, I'm not...I... don't know," I replied slowly. I wiped a couple tears off with my sleeve.


	5. Chapter 5

I paced nervously around the room. _Come_ _on_. _Come_ _on_ _._ _Come_ _ON_ _!_ I thought impatiently. The dial tone stopped mid-ring. I stopped pacing.

"Hello! You've reached Mark Fischbach's voicemail. Sorry I c-," I hung up the phone disappointedly. I flopped down on one of the comfy chairs in the staffroom, running my hand through my hair with a sigh. I've tried calling Mark 5 times now, and he still hasn't answered the phone. It's probably my fault anyways. My stomach churned. I slumped down in the chair, ashamed of myself.

Melly told me to take a break after the whole fiasco with the senior girls. She had taken over for me, thankfully. I worked so hard today, and the effects of exhaustion just hit me like a ton of bricks. I sighed again and looked up at the ceiling. I had told Melly that I would explain later, but I needed to make a call first.

I dialed Mark's number once more. The dull ring sounded in my ear. "I don't blame him for not picking up," I murmured, regretting all of today's events. I wish I hadn't left the car. I wish I had stayed and talked with Mark. I wish I hadn't blown him off like that. I thought about the time before all that shit went down.

When we were in my apartment this morning; when I tackled him to the ground and wrestled him for my T-shirt. I grinned.

I thought back to when we played Smash together, and how he had totally kicked my ass with Kirby every time, no matter who I played as. I smirked.

I thought about our trip to Taco Bell, and how he had tricked me into getting something super spicy. I chuckled.

The dial tone stopped again. "Hello?" asked Mark. I sat up straight and cleared my throat. "Hi Mark!" I said, trying to stay cool. I was so nervous; I thought the butterflies in my stomach could burst out at any moment.

"Jack? What do you want?" He asked. He sounded salty, but there was a hint of sadness laced in his words.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. For what I did this morning," I started slowly. I placed my hand on my chest.

"I didn't know how to respond, and I probably looked like a couple asshole. I'm really sorry," I continued. "I am just as confused as you are. I don't know what we are anymore. And I want to fix that. We are friends, but I- um...so..y-yeah...do you want to...uh," I slowed. I was at a loss for words. Again. Even though I had rehearsed them over and over again in my head.

Mark waited silently for what I had to say. I continued to stutter, trying to organize my thoughts into a sentence that didn't sound stupid. At one point I wondered if he had hung up; he was so quiet.

"Yes, Jack. I'll go on a date with you," he said, with a small chuckle. "It's okay. Really. We were both tired and confused this morning. I don't blame you,"

I smiled widely. I stood up and started pacing excitedly, placing my hand on my chest like I do when I'm nervous or focused. Or...happy.

"So, where should we go?" Mark asked, shaking off his last sentence. I thought intently. "Uh..how about that arcade down the street from the diner?" I replied. He let out a sound of agreement. Like a verbal nod, if that makes sense.

"Sweet! We can go down there after my shift!" I said excitedly.

"I can't wait!" Mark replied. His voice was no longer salty and hurt, but hopeful and calm. My smile widened even more. "See ya then!" I said excitedly.

"See you then. Buh-bye!" Mark said cheerfully. I swear, I could almost see him smiling through the phone. I hung up, and let out a sigh of relief.

He forgave me. Everything's okay. Everything is gonna be just fine. We're going on a date! I ran my fingers through my hair. I looked down at my phone, and smiled again. Everything is going to go great.

Melly knocked gently on the staff room door. "Come in!" I called cheerfully. I looked over at the coffee table in the room and noticed a plate of chocolate chip cookies. I lifted the plastic wrap off the plate and took a couple.

Melly peeked into the room. "Hey Jack, how are ya?" She asked with gentle concern. Her brows were furrowed. She noticed the cookies in my hand. "Guess that answers that question!" She giggled as she slipped inside and closed the door behind her gently.

"You have some crazy mood swings, dude," she said, putting her hand on her hip with a smile. I couldn't stop smiling. I was nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement. It was like a 500 pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I took a bite of a cookie.

"So, what happened?" Melly asked intently, taking one of the cookies out of my hand. I swallowed the bit I had in my mouth and stared at her. "Dude!" I exclaimed, shielding my other cookie from her grasp.

She laughed, taking a bite of MY cookie that SHE stole. She took another one from the plate and handed it to me. I chuckled. "Alright, well, I _guess_ I can tell you now," I said with a smirk. Melly flopped on the couch and blinked expectantly.

Melly went through a wave of at least 20 different emotions as I told my story. I never once mentioned Mark's name. After I finished, she leaped at me and gave me a big hug.

"I'm here for ya, dude! I always will be!" She said with a smile. I hugged her back. "Thanks Mel. I've never been on a date with a guy before," I said awkwardly.

Melly released me and sat back down in her chair. She laughed and threw her hands in the air, "Neither have I!" She cheered. I looked at her with confusion. She cleared her throat and continued, "But you'll be fine! I know you will! It seems to me that this dude already likes you. You don't have to impress him. Just be yourself!" She said.

"Well, I knew that," I chuckled. "But thank you for the advice. I'll keep you in mind if I ever need help," I told her with a small smile. She beamed.

"I'm always here if ya need me!" She replied.

"Hang on. Didn't you say you've never been on a date before?" I asked suspiciously. She shook her head, "Nope. I've never had a boyfriend. Or girlfriend," she replied with an embarrassed smile.

"Then why are _you_ giving _me_ dating advice?" I asked. Melly just laughed and shrugged. "Hey, you asked! This is just what I've picked up from movies and books and stuff,"

I raised an eyebrow at her. She chuckled nervously. There was an awkward silence before the familiar ding of the kitchen bell was heard. I could just barely hear Suzy call "Order up!" from the other side of the door. "Alright, that's my cue," Mel said, jumping up to get to the door. "Just a few more hours and you'll be on your first date with Mark! You'll be fine; don't even worry about it," She said, winking at me before she left.

I nodded with a smile. Wait...I shook my head in surprise, "Hang on! I never told you who I was going out with!" I called out to her. Melly stopped with her hand on the doorknob. She turned to face me and flashed me a cocky smile.

"But I'm right, aren't I?" She giggled as she left the room. I stared at her. Then shook my head dismissively. _What_ _a know-it-all_ _,_ I joked to myself as I picked up another cookie from the plate.

* * *

 

"Oh boy," I sighed. I nervously straightening my cap as I looked in the mirror. Melly looked up from her phone briefly. "Don't worry, Jack. It'll be fine!" She said with a genuine smile.

I sat next to her on the square, red couch in the staff room. I let out another sigh, "I know. I know. It's just nerves," I tried reasoning with myself.

Melly nodded absentmindedly, focused on her game. "Performance anxiety?" She chuckled. I rolled my eyes with a smile. "I know that feeling," she muttered, "Being super anxious before going on sta-AGH GOD NO!" she shouted.

I peeked over her shoulder to see what she was doing. "You're having a harder time than me right now, apparently," I commented. She narrowed her eyes briefly.

"I've been on this stupid level for weeks now." She tapped furiously on her screen, bouncing around but in all the wrong spots. "DAMNIT! SERIOUSLY!? _That_ killed me?" She exclaimed. She slumped in her seat and continued playing. I laughed. She concentrated on the game. She clenched her jaw, and sat up straight again.

"He's such a bitch to defeat," I said casually, focusing back on her. She nodded silently. "Jump! GET HIM!" Melly shouted as she jumped on top of the Barrel King's head.

"Quick, use Dr. Crab!" I said. Melly shooed me away. "I know what I'm doing, Jack," she said. She then let out a quick, sharp screech that could only be described as an eagle in distress. She turned off her phone, aggressively placed it on the table, and turned to me with an annoyed smile on her face, all in one quick motion.

"So how are yoooou?" She asked, taking a deep, angered breath. I laughed again. "You died didn't you?" I managed to say in between bursts of laughter. She nodded with an aggressive "Mm-hmm,"

I continued to laugh. She stuck out her tongue. "Don't mess with Melly in this state, Jack! I'll bitch slap your whole family," she joked. She always gets so salty after playing Felix's game. It's really entertaining. Once she got so close to winning, and then accidentally ran into the Barrel King and died. She had to step outside of the diner to calm herself down.

"Any word from Mark?" She asked after my laughing fit.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check, then shook my head. "Not recently. He must be recording." _Or_ _maybe_ _he_ _blew_ _me_ _off_ _._ _He_ _was_ _quick_ _to_ _apologize_ _..._ _it_ _could_ _have_ _been_ _a_ _façade_ _just_ _to_ _get_ _my_ _hopes_ _up_ _..._ I thought nervously. My brow furrowed at the thought. _No_ _._ _Mark_ _wouldn't_ _do_ _that_ _._ _Not_ _now_ _..._ _right_ _?_

I had finished my shift around 15 minutes ago, that's when I called him. Mark agreed to drive us over to the arcade once I was ready. Melly took a lunch break so she could keep me company while I waited.

She smiled. "Don't worry to much. You and Mark are great friends. And he, technically, asked you out first! You'll do fine," she said reassuringly.

I sighed, "Yeah, but I-,"

"Don't want to jeopardize your friendship?" Melly finished with a cocky grin. I rolled my eyes and nodded. The front door bell jingled. I leaped up, out of my seat as Mel stood up calmly. "Jack, you won't ruin anything," she said bluntly and rested her hand on my shoulder. "Now, if I have to say it a million times before it gets through to you, I will. You'll. Be. FINE," Then she turned around and hustled to greet the customer.

I followed her to the door, catching her wrist before she left. "What if he doesn't really love me and he's just trying to play with my emotions! Melly, I'm not that scared of messing up. I'm more afraid that he's pretending," I said, my voice shaking. Tears welled up in my eyes. Melly's reassuring smile faded into a concerned frown.

She looked straight into my eyes. She said nothing for a while, as if she was searching for the right thing to say. I felt a tear run down my face, and Melly's gaze softened. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I hugged her back, willing myself not to cry on her.

"Jack...don't second guess yourself," she whispered as she pulled away from the hug. "You're an amazing person. Mark really _does_ love you, I promise. I know he does. I can see it in the way he looks at you," she looked at me one last time. "Trust me," she murmured and left the room.

As she left, I looked in the mirror above the sink. My eyes were red and shiny with tears. I took a tissue from the box on the table and dabbed my eyes with it. I forced myself to calm down. I remembered the things Melly had just told me. I smiled a small, nervous smile. I picked up another one of the cookies on the coffee table to distract myself. Melly had made them. She was trying her hand at cooking. They weren't...well...completely terrible.

They were a little to crunchy for my taste. I'll still eat it, of course. It's still a cookie. Frankly, Mel should stick to drawing. I looked in the mirror again. All this cookie talk had taken my mind off things. I didn't look like a total crybaby anymore. I finished the cookie and walked out into the front part of the diner. I wiped my hands on my pants to get rid of the crumbs.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear!" Melly said with a laugh. "We were just talking about you, Jack!" I raised an eyebrow at her. Then at Mark.

"Mark!" I exclaimed in surprise. I grinned. "I thought you were still at the Grumpspace!" I happily.

Mark smiled back at me and shook his head. "I'm good at surprising you at work, aren't I?" He said cheekily. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Yeah, apparently. Ready to go?" I asked. He nodded, and waved goodbye to Melly.

"Have fun!" She smirked. "But not to much fun, if you know-,"

"Shut up, mom!" I said sarcastically, nudging her playfully. I felt my cheeks slowly turning red. She laughed and waved back at us. "Same bat time!"

"Same bat channel!" I finished, giving her a high five on my way out. She smiled at me reassuringly once more, and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled back. Mark held the door.

"Ladies first!" He chuckled. I nudged him through the door. "Go ahead then!" I replied. We laughed on our way out to his car.

As I buckled in, I remembered Melly's words one final time. "I can see it in the way he looks at you," I muttered to myself. I couldn't help but smile. Mark started the car and his radio blasted some generic pop song, which startled me out of my thoughts. He quickly turned it off. I laughed, "Were you listening to Taylor Swift?" I asked.

Mark shook his head quickly. "Pssh, no. Definitely not. I was listening to um...n-not Taylor Swift," he stuttered in embarrassment. I laughed a little harder as he pulled out of the parking lot with a sheepish grin on his face.

* * *

 

"I win again!" I shouted. I threw my hands in the air happily and did my victory dance. Mark huffed in annoyance.

"Best 8 out of 10?" He asked. I laughed and nudged him playfully. "Face it bro. I'm better at Pac-Man VS. than you are!" I teased as I waved a huge wad of tickets in front of his face. He stuck his tongue out at me childishly.

I smiled and watched him look around for other games to play. We wanted to play Dance Dance Revolution, but the line is ridiculously long. We've already played the basketball game, which Mark won, and tried our luck at one of those coin collector games. We lost a lot of quarters to that stupid machine.

"Skeeball?" He suggested, pointing at a row of skeeball machines against the wall. I shrugged. We walked over to a pair of the open machines. Mark put a couple quarters into the slot. A few rows of bright, multicolored lights along the side of the machine lit up, and 5 balls rolled down to meet us.

"Alright!" He said, cracking his knuckles, "First one to 200 wins!" He smirked. I nudged him with my elbow. "You're on!"

I inserted a couple quarters into one of the machines next to him, and grabbed a ball. We exchanged glances, "Ready?" Mark asked. I nodded determinedly. He turned to his game, "Set," I focused on the hole in the very middle. "GO!" Mark shouted.

I rolled the ball as hard as I could. It flew up and hit the rim of the 100 point hole. I held my breath in anticipation. However, it bounced off and rolled into the 10 hole. I huffed in annoyance and quickly grabbed another ball. That ball rolled into the 10 hole again.

I clenched my jaw and rolled my third and fourth ball, one right after the other. I glanced over at Mark. He was already at 100 points. He was laser focused as he rolled his third ball. It bounced into the 50 point slot. I quickly glanced up at my score, then down at my last ball.

I took a deep breath, focused on the 200 point hole, and rolled it as hard as I could. The ball bounced up and teased the edge of the 200 point hole. I held my breath once again. The ball teetered precariously before bouncing away. The small white ball fell into the 100 point slot. Mark cheered, and I quickly looked over.

My jaw dropped. "350 points!?" I gasped, rereading his score out loud. I did a double take at my own score in dismay. Only 150 points. Mark waited for his tickets to finish dispensing with a smug grin on his face.

"Who's got the most tickets now!" He teased, pointing at his ever growing stack of tickets. I rolled my eyes, and gave him a high five. "Yeah, yeah. Good game," I chuckled. Never will it be said that ol' Jackaboy has poor sportsmanship!

Mark laughed. "Well, I can do better," he smirked playfully. I rolled my eyes a second time, and ripped off the few tickets that I earned. "So, do you want to wait in line for DDR or find something else to play?" I asked. I pointed at the long line to the popular dancing game behind me.

Mark sized up the line. It had gotten shorter, but not by much. "Let's find something else. It's getting late, so most people should be heading home soon," he replied.

"Good idea," I agreed. We looked around the arcade for another game while we waited on his tickets. "Guitar Hero?" I asked halfheartedly. Mark shook his head while he picked his stack of tickets off the floor. He folded them neatly and put them in his pocket with the rest.

We started walking through the arcade, searching for just the right game to play. Whack-A-Mole, Centipede, Street Fighter, Dig Dug. None of these games particularly caught my eye.

Suddenly, I felt a hand brushed against mine. I jumped in surprise and my cheeks burned with embarrassment. I glanced over at Mark. His cheeks were a rosy red as well, but he small smile on his face. I grinned, purposefully brushing my fingers against his again. I smiled as he discreetly wrapped his fingers around mine. We walked through the arcade as we held hands, awkwardly trying to look at inconspicuous as possible. We both had goofy little grins on our faces that gave us away.

Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned to look, with a raised eyebrow. I inhaled sharply. Written in big, neon letters, right next to the pizza place was-

"LASER TAG!" Mark and I shouted in unison. We exchanged looks. He still had a dorky smile on his face, but a little bigger this time. He let go of my hand, and ran over to the reception desk. I followed close behind him.

We were greeted by a guy, about our age, who said, "Hello! Welcome to LazerDex! How can I help you?"

I rocked back and forth on my heels excitedly. I smiled widely and asked,.l "When's the next session?" The guy checked his watch, then the looked over at a computer sitting on the desk. "In about 5 minutes. If you want to sign up, you'd better do it now!" He replied.

"How much?" Mark asked, opening his wallet enthusiastically. The guy pointed at a sign behind him. "$15 per person, per session,"

I pulled out my wallet. I had just enough in cash. Mark stopped me. "Mark, I'll pay for myself," I insisted. Mark hesitated before handing the guy $15. I did the same, and flashed Mark a smile.

The receptionist typed some things in on the computer and handed us a small paper card. "Go scan that in at one of those monitors over there so you can register. Then you're all set for the next round!" He said as he pointed to a row of desktop monitors on the right wall. I thanked him, grabbed Mark's wrist, and ran excitedly over to them.

"So, just swipe this card through the scanny thingy?" I asked once we had gotten there. Mark nodded. I flipped my card over and swiped it quickly through the card scanner. I looked at the screen. "Please pick an alias," Mark read. He sat at the monitor next to mine.

I grinned, and typed in my username. I peeked over at Mark, expecting to see "Bum Bum" on the screen. Instead, I saw "Markiplier". I looked over at my screen again. After a brief debate with myself, I changed "Booper Dooper" to "JackSepticEye". Mark grinned at me, and I smiled back.

When we had finished filling out the sign up form, we waited in an unorganized line by the entrance with the other players. Most of them were kids or teenagers. There was one other adult there, besides Mark and I. You could tell she was just there with her kid though. She was not into it as much as the others.

I turned to Mark. "I've never played laser tag before!" I said excitedly. I flipped my card over and over in my hands, re-reading it repeatedly. Mark beamed at me, "Well, we're on separate teams, so I'll teach you how to _lose_ at laser tag!" He said. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"I may not know how to play, but that won't stop me from kicking your ass!" I said with a grin, poking his chest playfully. He just laughed.

The entrance door cracked open and a tall girl with curly red hair stepped out. "Hi guys!" She called cheerfully, "Whose ready to play laser tag?"

A couple kids raised their hands. "Not many of you I suppose...I said, whose ready to play laser tag!" She repeated enthusiastically. The entire group cheered. Mark cheered beside me. I looked over at him and smiled, then I shouted as loud as I could. I was louder than anyone else. A couple kids turned to look back at me with confused looks on their faces.

"Alright! That's more like it! Let's go!" She said. She motioned for us to follow her into the dimly lit room she came out of.

Once everyone had filed in, she closed the door. "Alright everyone! My name is Felicity, and I'll be your instructor! There are many rules we need to follow so we can be safe. Thankfully, we have a quick video to explain them all," she pointed at a TV in the corner of the room, and we all turned to watch.

Everyone was assigned a number during registration that corresponded to a number on the vests and 'guns' hanging on the wall. Mark and I were the same number, 7, but on different teams. Mark was on the Red team, and I was on the Blue one. I grabbed my vest, and secured it on my body, following the video's instructions. Mark was having a little trouble getting his secured.

I chuckled and helped him buckle in properly. "You goober, you had it on backwards!" I said as I fixed his vest. He grinned sheepishly, "I-I knew that," he replied.

Felicity came around and pressed a small button on each of the vests. A little green light lit up. The video had explained that this was our health light. Once it turns red, you lost one of your lives. There isn't a limit on lives, thankfully.

"Alright! You all know the rules now! Once you walk through those doors, go straight to your team's base! The guns won't be activated until the match starts!" She instructed. The room was dead silent; she continued, "Red team, your base is on the far right! Blue team, you're on the far left! Does everyone understand?" She asked.

Everyone nodded silently. "No questions?" She asked again. Everyone shook their heads except for me. "Hang on," I said, stepping into her line of vision. She turned her attention on me, while the others continued to put on their vests.

"Do these guns have ammo?" I asked. Felicity shook her head. "No, but they do need to be recharged." She told me then turned back to the crowd and raised her voice so it was loud enough to be heard. "You'll hear a short, quick beep coming from your gun if you need to go back to recharge. Your vest will also make a noise if you get hit," she explained. I nodded in understanding.

Mark stepped in beside me. "One last thing," he said. "Can you cross the enemy lines?" Felicity nodded. Mark quickly turned to me and smirked. I rolled my eyes again.

"Are there any more questions?" Felicity asked one last time. No one answered. "Alright! Go and have fun! Remember to be safe!" She called. I squeezed my way through the door and out into the dark arena. Mark followed close behind me.

Mark's eyes sparkled as we marveled at the large, dimly lit room. "Woah," we said in unison.


	6. Chapter 6

Mark and I stared at the arena in awe.

It was dark, but just enough so you could still see where you were going. The blue and red lights marked each teams' territory. Large black pillars were placed strategically around the room, most likely for people to hide behind. These pillars were lit up at the top with the same color lights as those around them.

On each side of the room, there was a team base. At each base, there was a terminal displaying the names of the team members. The bases were surrounded by a circle of lights in the floor. These lights, of course, were either blue or red, depending on the team. Players could go recharge their guns and heal themselves at their base.

There was a ramp on both sides of the arena that lead up to another level. That level didn't have as many hiding spots. The entire room has masked with a thin layer of fog that came from the fog machines hidden in the ceiling.

"It's huge!" I gasped, still taking it all in. Mark snickered and nudged me playfully, "That's what she said," he said.

I rolled my eyes and nudged him back. "More like that's what _you'll_ say," I replied with a playfully evil smirk. Even in the dim light, I could see him turning as red as a tomato. I laughed. "Shut up, Jack," he said, covering his face. I laughed so hard I had to hold onto his shoulder to keep my balance.

The other players started to file in behind us, and separated to their team bases. Mark tapped me the shoulder, and I looked up at him. "I'll see you in the winner's circle," he said with a smirk, and started walking towards his base.

I stood up straight and puffed out my chest heroically. "We'll see about that, Markimoo!" He retorted, smiling as I watched him go. I quickly headed off to my own base. I chuckled. _Everything's_ _a_ _competition_ _with_ _him_ _,_ I thought with a grin.

My teammates were crowded around the base's terminal. I peeked in over their heads to see what they were all looking at. Everyone was tapping a little button beside their name that said "Ready". As they left, I fell into the awkward line of people that had formed. As I waited, I started to read the names of my teammates to myself.

Blue Steel, Tommie, Melody Beats, King Lear, Mettaton, Tough Snail, etc. As I went down the list of names, I smiled at a few. Someone had called themselves Pen15, and I almost lost it. I swear I have a child's mind.

"Hey," someone piped up, "There's someone who named themselves JackSepticEye!"

My heart stopped. As much as I love meeting my fans, I didn't want to be followed around. Not here anyways. Especially if I'm here with Mark. They might spread around rumors that we're dating, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet. I'm not even sure if we _are_ dating!

"Oh cool!" someone else replied. The two teens leaned in to see the terminal screen. I backed away and tried to hide my face. "I wonder if it's really Jack! And it says he's ready, so he's got to be here!" It was a girl's voice.

I slowly took another step back. "Of course it's not! It's probably another fan," said the boy. The girl started to look around, "Well, I wanna find them!"

I looked away anxiously. I feel bad for not stepping in to say hi. But I don't want them to find Mark. I can't let my cover be blown.

"The match will start in 30 seconds," the calm feminine voice of the announcer rang out through the arena.

"Alright! Team huddle!" Called one of my teammates. The rest of my team looked around, shrugged, and formed a scattered circle around him.

I felt myself starting to sweat as I nervously stepped into the group. _They're_ _gonna_ _find_ _me_ _for_ _sure_ _now_ _._ I thought. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the two teens stood beside me, still talking about me. I slowly crept to the back of the group, hoping they wouldn't notice, and stared at my feet.

"My name is King Lear. I'm a veteran player here at LazerDex. We should form a plan," said the teen that called for the huddle. He was short, but it's not like I have much room to talk. He seemed like he knew what he was saying.

"We'll need 3 people to be stealthy individuals, or spies. The rest should travel in groups," he continued. "Who wants to be a spy?"

I raised my hand silently. He raised his own hand, and so did another dude. I tried to avoid eye contact as they exchanged glances. _At_ _least_ _I_ _won't_ _have_ _to_ _worry_ _about_ _getting_ _recognized_ _,_ I thought with a sigh of relief. The other two spies didn't seem to know who I was, thankfully.

"The match will start in 10 seconds," the voice over the intercom said again. King Lear sighed, "There's never enough time to formulate a strategy," he mumbled.

"Okay, everyone else, form groups amongst yourselves. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be fine. You don't have to stick with your group," he said quickly, then glanced at the terminal.

"3...2...1...," it counted down. I got ready to run and hide. An airhorn sounded, signaling the start of the match. I sprinted off, up the ramp, and hid behind a black pillar. I took deep breaths, calming myself. I peered carefully over the guardrail to see if anyone had followed me.

I heard footsteps pounding up on the other side. My stomach dropped in despair. _This should be fun. HIDING IS NOT FUN!_ I thought. My mind was racing, and I tried to calm myself down. I held my breath as I peeked cautiously around the pillar. I let out a heavy sigh of relief to see Mark's familiar face running up the ramp. He looked around to see if anyone was there. I beamed.

He slowly crept forward, his gun ready to fire at a moments notice. He stepped over the enemy line, into my territory. I waited until he got a little closer. Just one...more...step...

I leaped out from my cover and started to shoot at him. "Holy sh-!" He exclaimed, and started to fire back. I dodged his attacks, which was kind of difficult, since I couldn't see them very well in the dim light. That, and they were thin, harmless laser beams.

I heard his vest beeping, and the health light on the front went from green to amber. "Ahh!" He shouted as I took a final shot.

"I told you! I knew I'd win! Nothing can stop ol' Jackaboy!" I shouted triumphantly. I threw my hands in the air again and cheered. Mark just laughed. I stopped cheering and looked at him curiously. Then noticed that his health light was still amber. He wasn't down. I gasped.

Mark started to shoot at me, landing a couple hits. I jumped behind another pillar. My gun was low on shots. I had maybe two left. I peeked around the pillar again. Mark was slowly approaching.

"Come o-n, Jack! You can't hide forever!" He taunted as he stepped closer and closer. I looked around frantically for an escape route. The closest one was the ramp I came from. Without hesitation, I sprinted for it.

Mark chased after me, firing his laser gun willy-nilly and landing a couple hits. My health light turned amber. I urgently looked around for my base, and noticed some Red team members hiding nearby.

It was suicide. There was no way I could get there without losing a life. Regardless, I carelessly ran straight through them all.

They shot at me, all 3 of them. However, I was only hit once. I looked behind me to see Mark, still chasing me. His was a bit slower. I smirked. _That's_ _what_ _you_ _get_ _for_ _driving_ _everywhere_ _!_ I thought. Finally, all those bike rides and walks to work have come in handy.

I turned the corner, and arrived at my terminal. I hit the recharge button beside my name. I caught my breath while the terminal recharged my laser gun. My health light turned green again.

No one was allowed to attack someone at their team base, so Mark stopped and waited for me to reemerge. I got my gun ready.

"Oh Ma-ark!" I called with a sing-song voice. I leapt out of the team base and shot at him. I saw his health light turn red, and it started flashing. His vest made a sound that resembled the noise Pac-Man males when he dies. He gasped.

"I gotcha now! Just like earlier!" I exclaimed happily, referencing my many wins at Pac-Man VS. Mark shot me a look and ran back to his base to revive himself. Suddenly, my own vest made a noise, like it had been hit.

"Oh shit," I muttered, suddenly remembering the hidden Red team spies. They all leaped out of their hiding spots and shot at me. I was defenseless, standing still in surprise. I was down in a matter of seconds.

They cheered together. "Markiplier, we have avenged you!" One of them called. I saw Mark at the far end of the arena. He shot at a couple of my teammates as he ran back toward me. He fell in beside my attackers.

"Well done, guys!" He said, giving each of his minions high fives. I scrunched up my face in disapproval.

"Really, Mark? Using your _fans_ to help you win? That's a cheap tactic," I retorted.

"Aww, someone's a little salty because they lost," Mark teased in a mocking baby voice. I huffed. "You're such an asshole," I replied, crossing my arms and looking away. I tried to hide my smile.

Mark laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, Jack. Go heal yourself, and we'll have a fair game," he reassured. I chuckled, "Alright. But no more utilizing your fans to help you win! It's not fair!"

Mark smiled and nodded at me. "I know, I know. Go fix yourself up already, jeez," he said, nudging me gently towards my base. I looked back at him. He turned to his teammates and told them to disperse. The nodded, and ran of in separate directions.

 _Markiplier._ _What_ _a_ _fucking_ _dork_ _,_ I thought to myself. Still, I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

 

"What the fuck?" I held up my score card and compared it with Mark's. I stared at the scores, desperately flicking back and forth between them. I ran a hand through my hair self-consciously. "How...?"

Mark peeked over my shoulder at the card. "We got the same score?" He said in confusion. "But how?" He grabbed the score cards and examined them. I leaned over his shoulder to look with him.

"I totally got more kills than you!" I pointed out, folding my arms across my chest. Mark pointed at another column next to my name, "Yeah, but you also died more than me too," he said, chuckling a bit.

I stared at him for a moment, letting that thought sink in. "Well, I-I'm new at this!" I retorted and took my score card back, shoving it into my back pocket. "And you sent out an entire ARMY to kill me the first time!" I nudged him with my elbow. Mark snickered, carefully folding his own score card and putting it in his pocket. I rolled my eyes with a coy smile.

Something sparked in his eyes. "Hey! Look!" He exclaimed, and pointed at something in the arcade. I tried to followed his gaze. After struggling for a moment to see what he was pointing at, I turned back to him.

"It's rude to point, Mark," I scolded playfully. He let out a brief sigh and grabbed my hand swiftly. My cheeks warmed at his touch. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I....I can't explain it. He's just...him. And he gets me flustered.

I stumbled, trying to keep up with him, as we ran in the direction he had been pointing. "Mark!" I called, once I had finally gotten my balance back. "What are you-,"

"Dance Dance Revolution is open!" He interrupted, stopping right in front of the machine. He turned back to me, excitement sparkling in his brown eyes like stars. The line had dispersed, and most of the arcade was empty by now. I checked my watch; it was pretty late. Most people probably went home, and the arcade would be closing soon.

Mark stepped up onto the dance stage and put in a couple quarters. _We have enough time for one_ _game_ _,_ I thought. I dug through my pockets, and pulled out just enough.

Mark waited, a little impatiently, as I inserted the coins. "Which song should we dance too?" He asked, scrolling through the playlist. I shrugged, looking at my own screen as he flipped through the song list. Nothing really popped out at me.

"Oh! This one!" Mark exclaimed, quickly selecting the song before I was able to catch a glimpse.

"What is it?" I asked. I was worried it would be something crazy hard, and I wouldn't be able to keep up with it. Mark grinned as the song started to play.

The arrows slid up the screen slowly. Up, left, up, up, right. I stomped on the dance floor to the rhythm. The song was a moderate speed, thankfully, and I was able to quickly take the lead.

"This is easy!" I chuckled, turning to Mark. "Didn't you say you'd stomp me at DDR?" I teased. Mark looked at me and smirked.

"This is just the beginning!" He replied. Suddenly, the song quickened the pace. Up, up down, right, up down, left. The arrows slid up the screen faster than before. I struggled to keep up. My legs began to ache as I stomped clumsily on the dancefloor.

Mark, on the other hand, was much more graceful. He landed each step almost perfectly. He even made up some actual dance moves to the song as he went. He had the most determined look on his face as pulled ahead of me.

I was losing. I tried to focus on the arrows, but they were going to fast. At one point, I had to grab onto the handrail in front of me because I nearly fell over trying to land a move. Mark laughed at me, dropping his focus for a brief moment. I took my chance.

While he was distracted, I landed a couple perfect moves and tied us up. Gradually the song slowed back to it's original pace. I landed the last move with a perfect, as did Mark. The song ended, and I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath. I looked over at Mark. He flashed me a smile, and I smiled back. I leaned on the handrail nonchalantly, still huffing and puffing.

"Well done, Markle Sparkle," I said in between breaths. Mark placed his hands on the top of his head and took a few deep breaths. "You too, Jackyboy!" He replied. We waited for our scores, and I was able to get my breathing back to a normal rate.

The final scores flashed onto the screen as I wiped my forehead clean of sweat. I looked up to see "Player 2 Wins!"

I beamed and cheered loudly, throwing my hands in the air. Mark's jaw dropped. "I won by one point!" I exclaimed excitedly.

As I did my victory dance, once again, Mark chuckled. "I only lost because you distracted me with your carelessness" he said.

"Excuses, excuses! I won fair and square," I laughed. Mark smiled at me, giving me a good-sported high five.

Mark checked the Apple Watch on his wrist, "It's getting late. We should head home soon," he said. I nodded in agreement. I felt my stomach growl hungrily.

"First, let's get something to eat! My stomach feels like it's full of angry badgers!" I replied. Mark chuckled, and pointed towards the pizza place next to the laser tag arena.

"Pizza?" He asked.

"Pizza." I replied with a nod.

Mark laced his fingers in between mine again as we walked towards the pizza place. We walked side-by-side, trying not to garner to much attention, and hiding our hands from prying eyes.

I still blushed a bit whenever someone would cast a glance at us. I tried not to make eye contact with anyone but Mark. I looked over at him. He had a small smile on his face. He looked so comfortable, walking around in a public place holding another man's hand. My smiled contently and looked own at our hands.

It was at that exact moment that I realized what was going on. I was always aware of my surroundings and what I was doing, and I had felt so at ease. I hadn't realized what I was doing until now. I was holding my best friend's hand. I was on a "date" with him. That hadn't clicked with me until _just now._ We aren't friends. We aren't best friends either. We are much more than that. No, not friends with benefits. We are something completely different and new. We are...we're...love. Not "in love", and not "lovers". We are love it's self. We're love and all the happiness it brings.

"Mark," I said nervously. He turned to me with the same small smile on his face that warmed my heart and brought me to realize who I really was. "I uh-," I hesitated briefly. Mark's chocolate brown eyes sparkled with emotion, encouraging me to continue.

I took a deep breath and said, "I-I... love...pepperoni pizza. Can we get that?"

Mark blinked, "Uh sure. We can get pepperoni pizza," he said, his words laced with confusion.

"Sweet! Thank you," I said awkwardly. I rubbed the back of my neck and inwardly sighed. _I'm_ _such_ _a_ _fuckin_ _'_ _wimp_ _._ _Just_ _._ _SAY_ _IT,_ I scolded myself. We stopped in front of the counter. While Mark ordered, I walked away to find us a seat. I sat down at an empty booth and pulled out my phone, absentmindedly tapping on my Text Messages.

 _I_ _need_ _to_ _find_ _the_ _right_ _moment_ _._ _I_ _need_ _to_ _find_ _the_ _right_ _words_ _to_ _say,_ I thought to myself. _I_ _could_ _just_ _tell_ _him_ _I love_ _him_ _,_ _but_ _that's_ _to_ _simple_ _._ _Everyone_ _says_ _that_ _and_ _it_ _means_ _nothing_ _!_ _This_ _needs_ _to_ _mean_ **_everything_** _._ I tapped away on the keypad, not even paying attention to who I was talking with or even what I was writing.

After I finished typing, I set it down on the table. I placed my head in my hands, running my fingers through my brown hair, desperately trying to think of just the right things to say.

 _You_ _need_ _to_ _tell_ _him_ _eventually_ _,_ I told myself. _If_ _you_ _keep_ _it_ _to_ _yourself_ _,_ _he_ _might_ _move_ _on_ _._ _He_ _might_ _find_ _someone_ _else_ _._ _You'll_ _lose_ _him_ _if_ _you_ _don't_ _tell_ _him_ _now_ _._ _Look_ _at_ _what_ _happened_ _to_ _Yamimash_ _._ _Do_ _you_ _want_ _to_ _end_ _up_ _like_ _him_ _?_ _All_ _but_ _forgotten_ _,_ _watching_ _as_ _Mark_ _moves_ _on_ _to_ _another_ _person_ _?_ _Who_ _knows_ _!_ _This_ _time_ _it_ _could_ _be_ _a_ _girl_ _and_ _he_ _might_ _actually_ _go_ _for_ _her_ _!_ _Act_ _fast_ _,_ _Sean_ _._

My phone vibrated briefly. I looked at it through my fingers. "I texted Melly," I mumbled not even bothering to check her reply.

"Hang on," I said. My eyes widened in surprise and I quickly grabbed my phone. I fumbled with it, opening the messaging app again. "What the hell did I text her?!"

The text I had sent read: " _I_ _don't_ _know_ _what_ _to_ _do_ _._ _What_ _do_ _I_ _say_ _?_ _How_ _can_ _I_ ". Apparently I sent it before I finished my thought.

Melly replied with, " _What's_ _going_ _on_ _?_ _Are_ _you_ _okay_?"

I quickly typed back. " _Nothing_ _._ _I_ _texted_ _you_ _on_ _accident_ _._ _Sorry_ _!_ " I put my phone back on the table, and sighed.

"Fuckin' marvelous. That's going to make her even more worried," I said. I leaned against the back of the booth and covered my face with my hands. "Why am I so fucking stupid!" I muttered.

"Jack? Are you alright?" said a familiar deep voice. I bolted upright, placing my hands on my lap and forcing a smile.

"Yeah! I'm...uh-I'm fine!" I chuckled nervously. Mark raised an eyebrow and sat down across from me, setting down the large soda he must have ordered for himself..

"Okay...," He stared right at me, questioning my every move. "Anyways, look at our order number! Fifteen! Just like at The Other Side!" He said lightheartedly, sliding the receipt towards me.

I chuckled awkwardly, "What a coincidence!" I smiled at him, but Mark narrowed his eyes slightly, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Sorry I didn't get you one," he started cautiously, motioning towards the soda, "I didn't know what kind you like," he finished, still staring at me. I shrugged, "It's alright, I don't need one."

There was a long break in the conversation. Mark stared at me; I kept my eyes on my hands. We sat in silence, not saying anything to each other for what felt like hours. There was so much sexual tension between us, that anyone who passed us would shield their eyes to avoid getting in the middle of anything. Thankfully, my phone went off again.

I looked at it, sitting on the table face down. I grabbed it and shoved it in my back pocket, still trying to avoid eye contact with Mark. "Jack, what the hell is going on," he asked in concern. His voice was soft and deep. It was gentle, yet there was an underlying note of "cut-the-crap" in his tone.

I sighed, "Really. I-it's nothing. I'll tell you later," I fiddled with the drawstring on my hoodie, still not willing to look at Mark.

"I don't want to cause a scene," he said softly after a few moments of awkward silence, "but you've been acting differently ever since this morning. You haven't been your usual happy-go-lucky, loud ass self," I looked up at him cautiously. His chocolate-y eyes were filled with concern and affection.

"And when you have, I could tell you were faking it. So, please, just tell me what is wrong," he placed his hand on top of mine. I tried not to recoil. I didn't want to be touched right now. "Are you not having a good time?" He asked slowly.

 _No_ _._ _Not_ _now_ _._ _It's_ _not_ _the_ _right_ _moment_ _!_ My mind screamed at me, begging me to keep my mouth shut, but I knew I had to tell him. If not now, then when?

I put hand back in my lap, trying to avoid any contact with Mark as I summoned the courage to tell him. I took a deep, shaky breath, "I-,"

"Here's your pizza, table fifteen!" said the cheerful waiter as he placed a steaming hot pepperoni pizza in front of us. "Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else!" He said and walked away.

"I said I'll tell you later," I finished. I smiled slightly at Mark. "For now let's just...eat!" I grabbed a couple slices of hot pizza and put them on a plate in front of me.

Mark's eyes pleaded silently, begging me to tell him now. The wait would kill him, but I knew that this wasn't the right time or place. However, he took his own slices of pizza in silence.

"Ow! Hot! Really fuckin' hot!" I exclaimed after I took a bite. I fanned my mouth, as I chewed. Mark tried to stifle a laugh, but couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing, holding onto the table so he wouldn't fall out of his seat. I huffed and covered my mouth with my hand as I chewed. A ghost of a smile on my lips.

Mark handed me his soda, and a gratefully took it, taking a few large sips to wash down the scorching hot pizza.

"Who said you wouldn't need a soda?" Mark teased, genuinely smiling. I swallowed, rolling my eyes with a small smile.

"I did, but I still don't need one!" I chuckled. I picked up my pizza again, blowing on it to cool it down before taking another bite. Mark smirked,   
doing the same with his own piece. We ate, largely in silence, cracking a few jokes now and then. I shared Mark's soda, reluctant to get my own after what I'd said.

We had finished nearly all the pizza, leaving just a few slices. Mark asked for some tin foil so we could wrap it up. We took it with us as we left. It was nearly 8:30 now, and I had to work tomorrow.

Sunday. That's the day Mark always comes into the Other Side Café and Bar, sits down at Table 15, orders a BLT with fries, and talks with me on my break. Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe I'll tell him tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

I rolled out of bed and trudged to my closet. I pulled out the last clean shirt and the cleanest pair of jeans I could find and slipped them on. Taking a glance at my overflowing laundry basket, I sighed.

"I need to do laundry tomorrow," I muttered to myself. I walked through my apartment quietly. As I past the living room, I tried my best to be light on my toes.

In the kitchen, I turned on the coffee maker and got a couple bowls out of the cupboard. I set them on the table, along with two spoons, the milk jug, and a box of Frosted Flakes. Then I quickly and quietly walked to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

When I emerged, the coffee was ready. I poured two mugs, pouring a bit of Irish creamer in mine and hazelnut creamer in the other, then set them down at the table. I turned to coffee pot off, and snuck into the living room.

Slowly and quietly, I walked around the front of the couch and sat down inches from the sleeping man's face.

"Markimoo," I whispered softly. When he didn't move, I leaned over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and sat back.

Mark's eyes stirred a bit, and I felt my cheeks warming slightly. "Good morning, Markle Sparkle," I said softly with a smile.

The attractive man opened his chocolate eyes to look at me, sitting right in front of his face with a large, goofy grin plastered across mine.

He smiled, stretching and rubbing his eyes, "Good morning, Jackaroony," he croaked tiredly.

I was tempted to lean forward just a little more and plant a kiss on his soft pink lips. But I didn't. I wish I had, but I didn't. Instead, I said, "I set up breakfast,"

Mark sat up on the soft tan couch. "And I made us some coffee," I smiled. He threw the blanket off himself and got up. He ruffled my hair playfully.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at me. We sat down across from each other at the table. He took a sip of his coffee as I poured my cereal.

"Wow," he exclaimed, and I looked up, handing him the cereal, "This coffee is perfect! I didn't know you had hazelnut creamer!" He smiled, taking another sip.

I chuckled, " I don't normally. I bought it the other day specifically for you," Mark beamed. I poured the milk on my cereal and slid the jug over to Mark. "Well, thank you!" He said, his cheeks turning a little rosy.

"Of course!" I replied, smiling. We ate in comfortable silence, and when we had finished, I offered to take his bowl to the sink.

"You'd better get ready," I commented from the kitchen, "We have to leave in a few minutes," Mark stood up and walked to the living room.

I peeked around the corner to watch as the half naked man walked away. He wasn't wearing any pants, as he normally sleeps in his underwear. I blushed a bit as I watched him go, then went back to rinsing out the cereal bowls. I had a stupid grin on my face again.

After our 'date', I guess you could call it, Mark drove me home. We talked about stupid internet videos we saw and played a game were you replace one word in every sentence with "dick". We had a great time, and the best part was, we avoided the awkward tension from earlier. We just talked like longtime friends again.

I had insisted that he stay the night, and he accepted. Apparently he keeps a spare set of clothes in his car at all times, in case something comes up. I silently planned to fix him a pancake breakfast this morning, but I got up to late.

When I finished rinsing the bowls and putting them into the dishwasher, I leaned on the counter with my phone and checked YouTube. I scrolled through the comments section of my last video, responding to as many people as I could. I couldn't help but smile as I read through them.

Everyone was cracking jokes and talking to each other. I read a little bit of a conversation were someone was explaining a particularly confusing part of the game to someone else. It always warms my heart to see these people helping each other out.

"Ready to go?" asked a deep voice. I looked up at Mark. I grinned, chuckling a bit.

"Maybe put on some pants first?" I commented, point towards Mark's pink-mustachioed boxers. All he'd done was change his shirt and brush his hair. He sighed and trudged back towards the living room.

I smirked a bit as he left, sliding my phone into my back pocket. I pulled on my shoes and stuffed my house keys into my other pocket. Mark reemerged, wearing pants this time.

"Sorry dude, but it's not socially acceptable to go pantless yet," I chuckled. Mark frowned, grabbing his keys. He held the door open for me as I pulled on my favorite blue hoodie.

"Yeah well. Maybe we should work on that," he complained good spiritedly. As we walked towards his car, I responded, "Why are you complaining? You're just gonna take them off at the Grumpspace anyways,"

Mark chuckled. "Besides," I continued, "You don't have to work a part time job on the weekends just to earn a living wage," He unlocked his car, and I slid into the passenger seat.

"YouTube isn't paying you a living wage?" Mark asked in concern as he sat down behind the wheel.

"Well, I mean they do," I explained, "But it isn't as much as they used to,"

Mark started the car, and looked at me. His chocolate eyes begged me to go on.

"I don't get it! I'm not doing anything differently! I checked my newer videos to make sure they were still getting monetized, and they are!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air angrily.

"I don't understand why I'm not earning as much as I used to. I shouldn't have to work at a diner, earning minimum wage, just to have enough to pay my bills and rent a decent apartment. I shouldn't have had to move to America, leaving my family and everything I ever knew behind _just_ because I wasn't making enough money to support myself! Last year I had to call my family and explain why they got keychains for Christmas because I didn't have enough money to buy them something meaningful! Just because I live in another country, doesn't mean I'm worth less than you! I'm a person too! I work just as hard as you American YouTubers, but I'm getting paid less! It's not fucking fair! It...just isn't fair...,"

I took a couple deep breaths, shaking as my rage died away Mark rested his hand on my shoulder comfortingly, but I just turned away. I wiped a couple salty tears off my face. Out of my peripherals, I saw Mark's hurt expression when I brushed him off.

I put my head in my hands, trying not to look at him.

"Jack...," Mark said softly. His voice cracked a little. I sat back in my seat, looking at him briefly. He had his hands on the steering wheel, but he didn't dare start driving now. He opened his mouth to speak again, "I-,"

"No Mark. _I'm_ sorry," I stopped him with a slightly calmer rant. " _I'm_ sorry that, apparently, _I'm_ not good enough. I don't understand why you keep me around. Why do you keep showing up at my apartment door, driving me to work every morning on your way to the Grumpspace? Why do you insist on paying for us when the pizza guy shows up at _my_ door? Why do you even bother with me? Why do you care so much?" I searched his eyes desperately for some kind of recognition. Anything that would lead me to believe that he's not just my friend that _might_ like me.

Instead, he just sighed softly. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. In defeat, I sat back in my seat, staring out the window. I saw my reflection in the rear-view mirror. A sad Irishman, unsatisfied with the way his life was going, crushing hard on a guy that probably used to have feelings for him until the Irishman said the wrong thing.

 _People_ _out_ _there_ _have_ _it_ _worse_ _off_ _then_ _you_ _,_ _Sean_ _._ _Stop_ _feeling_ _so_ _damn_ _selfish_ _._ I told myself. I saw my eyes water and a single tear rolled down my face.

I wiped it away with the sleeve of my jacket. _You_ _don't_ _understand._ I told myself, _Nothing_ _feels_ _worse_ _than_ _feeling_ _like_ _you_ _aren't_ _worth_ _something._

Then, I cried. Not just a couple tears here and there, no. My whole body shook as I sobbed. I covered my face with my hands. The sleeves of my jacket quickly got soaked with sadness. I could just barely hear what Mark had said over my cries.

I felt the car pull over and come to a halt. A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me close. I hugged him back, crying into his shoulder. My body wracked with each bout of tears.

Mark held me close to him as my tears stained his purple shirt. We huddled together in the front seat of his car. He whispered soothing words to me as we rocked back and forth slowly. I clung onto him like my life depended on it.

We stayed like this for what felt like an eternity: enveloped in a comforting embrace, one not willing to let go of the other.

I had nothing left in me. My head ached and my throat was dry. My eyes stung, and my cheeks were stained with tears. Mark said I was crying for twenty minutes. But to me, those twenty minutes had felt like a lifetime.

Mark had pulled into the parking lot of The Other Side Café when I broke down. I couldn't go to work looking like this; I'm an emotional wreck! Also, I'm twenty minutes late.

Right now, all I wanted - no, all I NEEDED - was to spend sometime with him. His comforting hugs, soothing voice, and rich chocolate eyes were the only things that could possibly make me feel better.

I hesitated a moment before asking Mark to go in and tell Melly that I needed the day off. He nodded, squeezing my hand consolingly before he got out of the car.

I leaned back in the passenger seat of the small blue car as Mark jogged into the diner. I ran a hand through my hair like I always do. I stared at the diner, watching people talk and laugh about who knows what as they ate their breakfast. I saw Mark talking with Melly. She ran into the backroom, leaving Mark to wait at the desk for her.

Mark is to nice to me. I don't deserve his kindness. I'm a mess. Apparently worthless. I can't even express my feelings properly. I act like a love-sick teenage girl desperately trying to muster up the courage to ask out the most popular guy in school. _Today_ _._ _Maybe_ _..._ _today_ _._ She would think. Then she'd awkwardly walking up to him. She would always chicken out at the last second, running back to her friends. She'd explain for the twentieth time why she didn't ask him out.

The only difference between me and that teenage girl, was that she had friends to run to. The closest friend I had was Mark. The thought of asking him out made me a little anxious. _What_ _would_ _I_ _say_ _?_ _Where_ _?_ _When_ _?_ I thought. My stomach twisted and turned the more I thought about it, _It_ _needs_ _to_ _be_ _perfect_ _._ _God, I_ _really_ _am_ _a_ _teenage_ _girl_ _._

The sound of the car door opening jarred me from my thoughts. Mark's familiar, handsome face smiled calmly at me as he got into the car. His smile melted all my worries away, and I flashed him a small smile.

"Melly says she hopes you feel better soon," he told me, "and she told me to give you this," he held up my gray hat. I lightened up a bit more, gratefully taking it and positioning it on my head. "I thought I'd lost it!" I said happily, my voice cracking just a bit.

Mark smiled his loving smile again, "She said she found it in the staff room when she came in to work today. You must have forgotten it last night when we went to the arcade," He said as he started the car, not yet putting it into drive. "I'm just glad I didn't leave it _at_ the arcade!" I chuckled, repositioning it a bit.

Then...we just sat, enveloped in awkward silence. I had nothing else to say, and Mark had no response.

"So...what do I do with you?" Mark joked as he tried to break the silence.

I looked at him, a ghost of a smile on my face. "If you still need to work, we should probably head to the Grumpspace" I suggested calmly.

"I don't want to drag you with me into town if you aren't feeling up to it," Mark said. His eyes were filled in concern. _He_ _really_ _cares_ _about_ _me_ _..._

I shook my head, "Really, I don't mind. I just...don't really want to be alone right now," I chuckled awkwardly. _That's_ _not_ _funny_ _,_ I scolded myself.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I won't be able to hang out with you very much," He replied. My heart sank. That's all I had wanted to do.

I reconsidered for a brief moment, until Mark sarcastically said:

"And Ross might ask to record a Grumpcade episode with you. That would be _terrible_ _!_ "

My eyes sparkled with newfound excitement. "Really? What are you waiting for! Let's go, damn it!" Mark laughed as he put the car in drive, pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

I've always wanted to record with the Grumps!

* * *

 

"JackSepticEye?" Ross exclaimed as I walked through the entryway into the main office. "I didn't expect you to be here today!"

He stood up from his desk and made his way over to me. The large drawing tablet in front of him displayed a sketch of a dolphin and a red dinosaur.

He gave me an uncomfortable hug. "I thought you worked on Sundays?" He asked, walking with me towards the couch.

"I uh- normally do. But, I didn't...I got the day off today," I replied. I really didn't feel like explaining it to Ross. Or anyone, for that matter. I don't need to burden them with my troubles.

"That's great!" He said with a smile. "I've been hoping to get another guest on Grumpcade! Whatta ya say?" The Aussie smirked, nudging me with his elbow.

I smiled and nodded. "Hell yeah! If I get to choose the game!" I exclaimed.

"Fine," Ross agreed begrudgingly. He must've picked out the perfect game. But I had one in mind that I knew I could win with. "The games are in the next room. We'll start recording at around noon, if that works for you," he said, pulling out his phone and setting an alarm.

I nodded again, " Yeah, noon works!" I said, checking the time. I've got a couple hours to waste.

"Great! Make yourself at home! I'll be here working on Gameoverse if you need me!" He said with a grin as he walked back to his desk. I waved politely and entered the next room over, were Ross had said the games were.

It was the kitchen. There were no games in sight, save for a few posters displaying various characters from different games. I looked aroun and noticed Mark, Danny, and Arin sitting at a small dining table in the back eating cereal.

"Oh! There's Jack!" Mark called, waving at him with a smile. Dan looked up and smiled widely at me.

"Hey man!" He said, motioning me over to sit with them at the table. I walked in and sat down beside Mark, grinning.

"'Sup Jack," Arin said casually, his mouth half-full of Lucky Charms. "Want some?" He pointed to the box on the table.

I shook my head politely, "No thanks. I already ate," I looked over at Mark, who was also eating a bowl. He glanced guiltily at me and tried to hide the evidence.

"And so did you," I scolded gently, glaring at Mark. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he apologized.

"I didn't mean to steal yer Lucky Chaarrrms!" He said in quite possibly the worst Irish accent I've ever heard. Everyone laughed, of course. I rolled my eyes with smirk.

"By Jesus, ye can't jus steal an Irishman's hearts, stars, and horseshoes!" I replied with an exaggerated version of my own accent. Arin laughed so hard he nearly choked on his cereal, and Dan had nearly fallen out of his chair.

Mark searched for a wittier comeback, but couldn't think of it in time. This alone made me laugh harder than the other two men at the table.

"Oh, God damn," Dan said, wiping a tear from his eye after his laughter had subsided. "That was fuckin' funny,"

I couldn't help but smile widely at his praise. Then I remembered why I came into the kitchen in the first place.

"By the way, where are your PlayStation games?" I asked, "I'm recording an episode of Grumpcade with Ross later today, and I get to pick out the game."

"Ross always gets to play with the guests," Dan complained before taking another bit of his cereal. He quickly swallowed. "Why don't I join you?" He asked. I nodded happily.

Arin pointed to a door on the left side of the kitchen. "Right through there. They're on the second bookshelf on the right," He said in response to my other question. He took another bite of cereal.

I thanked him and stood up from my seat at the table. "What are you guys gonna play?" Mark asked, standing up to rinse out his empty bowl of cereal in the sink.

"You'll see. And I'm gonna kick his ass at it, just you wait," I boasted with a cheeky grin as I left the room.

"You do have 3 controllers for the PlayStation right?" I called to Ross. Danny and I were sitting on the couch in front of the TV, waiting for him to return. Dan winced when I shouted. I'm always so loud; it happens all the time. You get used to it.

Ross shook his head as he walked through the doorway and into the recording space. "No, we won't need one. We'll just switch out," he replied, sitting beside me. While Dan checked the microphones, I popped the disc into the PlayStation 1 and turned it on.

The retro start-up sound made childhood memories come flooding back to me. I beamed happily, adjusting my cap. Ross looked over the recording set-up and prepared to start it.

"Ready?" He asked Dan when the menu screen for the game popped up. Danny gave him a nod of approval. I shot him a thumbs up. Ross started the recording.

"1...2...3...," he said. He moved the joystick as he counted off, then he clapped. (In case you don't know, this is one way on making sure your audio and video is synced up properly! A little secret I learned a while ago; when I still played horror games daily.)

"Welcome to back Grumpcade!" Ross said excitedly. "Yeah! So, who's this lovely fellow?" Dan cheered.

Ross started to respond in a very dry tone, "Why Dan, that's-"

"Wa-pish! Top o' the mornin' to ya laddies! My name is JackSepticEye!" I shouted loudly, nearly high-fiving the microphone. I saw Ross jump at my outburst, and Danny shrieked a bit in surprise. I saw the audio wave on the laptop spike.

I exchanged a look with Dan, who cracked a smile. "What the fuck was that?" I chuckled.

Danny desperately tried to cover it up, "A uh...A pig squealing impression," he responded. We both burst out laughing. Ross just chuckled awkwardly.

"J-Jack wrong channel," Ross muttered over the sound of our laughter.

"So, I can't be loud and obnoxious? 'Cuz I thought we had agreed to let me be loud and obnoxious," I replied in between laughs, pretending to scold Ross.

"So! What are we playin' today?" Dan asked, trying to actually start the episode. He wiped a single tear from his eye. All that laughing made his eyes water.

"This, Danny boy, is Crash Team Racing!" I shouted excitedly. Realizing how loud I was being, a cleared my throat and dialed it down a notch. I scooted my microphone array from my gave for good measure.

"I have never played this before," Ross said. Danny nodded in agreement. I smiled brightly at them both.

"I used to play this as a kid with my friends, but I always lost because I fuckin' suck at it," I continued with a chuckle, selecting the VS. option on the menu.

Dan, Ross, and I continued on with the episode, recording a couple more after the first. We played on a few different tracks, starting with my most favorites of course. Out of the five races we played, I only lost twice. Once to Ross, and once to a CPU. I won every race against Danny.

In my defense, that CPU loss was my first race! I was just getting readjusted to the game. I haven't played it in ages, cut me some slack! And Ross lost to it too, so I'm not a total loser.

There was a lot of shouting and cursing, mainly from me, but it was all in good fun. We made Ross play as Dingodile because they're both Australian. Danny played as Polar the the polar bear, and I played as Crash Bandicoot, naturally. Destruction is basically in the name! How could I not pick that one?

"Well, I think this is it," Ross said dryly towards the end of the last episode. I was still cheering happily over my final triumph over Ross. I had beaten him by a fraction of a second. I literally pulled into 1st place _as_ we passed the finish line!

"Hang on, hang on. Ross, guess what?" I said. Ross sighed, still annoyed with the close race.

"What, Jack," he replied with a bit of an edge on his voice. I flashed a grin at Danny, who started chuckling before I even told the joke.

"You just got DUNKED ON!" I shouted. Ross huffed and Danny absolutely lost it. He nearly fell on the ground after I sang/shouted, "I ain't even lyin'. No, you just got DUNKED ON!"

"Next time on Grumpcade," Ross murmured in annoyance. He leaned close to the mic so people could hear him over my shouting.

"Next time on Grumpcade, Ross is gonna get dunked on!" I shouted. Danny and I collapsed into a laughing heap on the couch. Ross pinched the bridge of his nose. He tried to conceal a small smile from us.

"Barry, cut that out," Ross said, finally chuckling a small bit. "No!" I said, leaning close to the microphone in front of me. I deepened my voice.

"Keep it in, and add a cool echo to my voice when I said it," I told him. I then leaned away from the microphone and high-fived Dan. Ross sighed.

"That was fun," Danny said, still chuckling and wiping a tear from his eye again. "Dude, your face is bright red from laughing so hard," I commented with a chuckle.

"You both fuckin' suck," Ross said, but he still chuckled. "Aye, it looks like someone is a salty sailor!" I teased, poking Ross's arm.

He laughed a bit, then stopped the recording. "Hey, seriously. Thanks for letting me record with you guys!" I said with a smile. They smiled back at me.

"No problem, man!" Danny said, giving me another high five. "Thanks for comin' down to record with us!"

I smiled at him for a moment, then I took the game out of the console. I carefully put it back in it's case. "I was so happy to see you had this game. I have always loved Crash Bandicoot," I said, to no one in particular.

"To be honest, I didn't know we had it," Ross said. "I've never played it before, but I have seen it on the shelf before," Dan commented.

I stood up to go return it. "You did really well considering you've never played it. You only fell off a ledge five times," I chuckled. "And you _almost_ won the second race!" Dan rolled his eyes, smiling.

I chuckled, "Thanks again guys!" Danny smiled at me, "Anytime, man!"

I waved politely at them, then walked into the kitchen, which I had to go through to get to the game room. I kept an eye out for Mark. Recording with those two did help cheer me up, but I still just really wanted to be around Mark.

I got to the game room without seeing so much as a glimpse of him. I sighed a bit, reshelving the game. I looked around at the walls of black bookshelves. The games were organized by what game system they belonged to, and in alphabetical order on the shelves. It was very clean. It made me smile a bit.

Everything had it's place and purpose in this room. I'd _kill_ to have a library like this. As I walked out of the room, I bumped into someone. "Agh sorry!" I quickly apologized. "Barry!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, hey Jack! Didn't expect to see you here today," the editor commented cheerfully. I chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "Yeah, I didn't go to work today," I replied.

"Oh, well why not?" Barry asked.

"I got the day off. Mark drove me here, so I'm just hangin' out for the day," I said with a small smile.

Barry grinned, "Nice! I'm guessing Ross wanted to record with you?" I nodded. I spotted Ross walk into the kitchen and pour himself a glass of milk.

"Yeah, just got done with a few episodes," I replied. Just then, Danny approached us and handed Barry a flash drive.

"Here's a couple Grumpcade episodes," Danny said cheerfully, nodding at me politely. Barry nodded thank you, and Dan walked back through the kitchen.

He tapped Ross on the shoulder as he walked by, and pretended like nothing had happened. Ross looked around. He rolled his eyes and went back to his glass of milk.

"Dan recorded with you too?" Barry asked, snapping me back to our conversation. "Oh! Uh, yeah! He did. It was really fun," I said smiling.

The editor smiled back at me. "Uh, hey," I started, rubbing the back of my neck again. "Where-uh...where's Mark?" I asked awkwardly. A slight smirk found it's way onto Barry's face.

"Follow me, I'll show you," he said. I trailed a little ways behind him down a hallway. We stopped in front of a room with a little window on the door. I thanked Barry quietly. He patted me on the back, "No problem!" he replied, before walking back down the narrow hallway.

I peeked through the window. The walls of the small room were padded with blue and black soundproof foam. The window was veiled with a one-way black curtain. I could see through it, but Mark couldn't see me. I couldn't hear a thing Mark was saying.

In the back, was a desk with two monitors. A microphone sat in front of the keyboard, pointing at a man with fluffy black hair. Lights were positioned just so to light up Mark's beautiful smile. I saw him wave to the camera then shut it off. I waited for him to stop the rest of the recording before I knocked lightly on the door.

Mark looked toward me before standing up and walking over. The door knob twisted. Mark peeked out to see me smiling at him.

"Hey Jack!" He said, opening the door more for me to walk through. "How was the recording?" He asked cheerfully. I could still tell that he was concerned about earlier from the look in his eyes.

"It was fantastic!" I replied happily. I pulled up a chair beside Mark's. We talked for a while about nothing in particular. I told him about the recording, then we talked about video games.

It felt good to have a normal conversation with him again. I always enjoy our chats.

"Well, I'm all done here," Mark said after talking with me for a while longer. "Are you ready to go home?"

I shuffled my feet a bit. "Yeah," I responded with a small smile. Mark noticed something was up and looked at me in concern. _He_ _always_ _seems_ _to_ _see_ _right_ _through_ _me_.

Honestly, I really didn't want to go yet. I was enjoying our time together here. "C-can we uh...go to your place? Maybe...to watch a few movies...?" I continued anxiously.

Mark was silent for a short while. _God damnit Sean, you don't just invite yourself over like that! You're too dependent on him. Maybe he wants some alone time._ I quickly tried to redeem myself, "I mean if you're busy or something, then that's totally fine! I just thought-"

"I'd love to watch some movies with you, Jack," Mark said calmly. I looked up at him. He bore a brilliant smile on his face; the one that made me grin from ear to ear.

He held my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. It was comforting, for some reason. His eyes sparkled with the light from his computer screen. His smile seemed to light up the rest of the room. We held each other's gaze like one of those couples in a cheesy romance movies.

My heart fluttered in my chest like a caged bird. That bird seemed to nag at me, begging me to set it free. "Tell him now! Tell him now!" It shouted at me.

Shit, I sound exactly like a fuckin' woman in those romance novels. Think like a man, Jack! What would a man, such as you, think? _DICKS!_ God damnit.

Anyways, I ignored the nagging bird in my heart. I know that if I keep putting it off, I'll just end up blurting it out at the wrong time. I've already done it once, to those homophobic girls at the diner. But...I don't know. This is a really big deal for me. It needs to be special.

The mood just isn't right. Even if Mark's chocolate eyes seem to be smiling at me from behind his glasses. It's not the right time. Even if he's currently leaning in closer to me, his lips just inches away from mine.

 _Hold_ _up_ _._ _What_ _the_ _fuck_ _?_ My eyes widened in surprise at the raven haired man. His nose brushed against mine for a moment. His cheeks were a dusty shade of pink.

I didn't move. I hardly dared to breathe. I tried to avoid eye contact, but his gaze was hypnotic. My eyes grew wider still as Mark suddenly thrust himself forward. Our lips met. He kissed me gently, still holding my hand.

My stomach flipped. He wasn't drunk this time. He couldn't blame this on truth or dare. This was an actual, loving, passionate kiss. _All those doubts...all those_ _unnecessary_ _worries_ _for_ _nothing_ _._ _He_ _really_ does _care_ _about_ _me_ _._ I started to kiss him back, shyly at first.

Mark opened his eyes a bit, and I could feel a small smile forming on his lips. A little more confident now, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed his company. His soft lips against mine were even more comforting than holding his hand. I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to get as close to him as I could without breaking the tenderness of the moment. His arms slid around my waist. I turned my head to get a better angle, urging myself to go for it. So I did.

I massaged my lips against his. Our kiss went from gentle to passionate in an instant. I ran my fingers through his hair, messing it up unintentionally. Mark held my face with his hands, pulling me closer to him. My heart raced.

We seemed to have melted together into our own universe. One were all that mattered was the present, not the past or future. Just the here and now. Without a second thought, I thrust my tongue into Mark's mouth. His eyes flew open as I made our time together more lustful.

A load knock on the door jolted us from our embrace. I shrieked loudly and fell out of my swivel seat. I bit down my tongue hard. Mark sat bolt upright, and stared at the door with wide, alarm-filled eyes. From where I was on the floor, I could see his cheeks were cherry red. His hair was overly-floofed and messed up.

"Mark? It's Arin," said a voice from the other side of the door. "Can I come in, or is this a bad time?"

Mark quickly glanced down at me. "What do I say?" He mouthed desperately. He looked panicked. I shrugged, sitting up. I frantically looked at the door, fixed his hair, and wiped a bit of my saliva off of his cheek.

"Uh, yeah come on in," Mark replied. As the door slowly opened, he shot me one last fearful glance before entertaining a fake smile.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that Suzy made some cookies," Arin said, peeking his head into the room. At this point, I was sitting on my swivel seat again, acting as if nothing had happened. I perked up at the very mention of food. Arin must've noticed, because he chuckled a bit.

"Yeah, they're sitting on the kitchen counter. Help yourselves!" He said before closing the door behind him. "Thanks Arin!" I called to him, just before the door shut.

Mark and I exchanged looks again. I smiled sheepishly at him. "Um...I uh...h-how long so you think he was standing there?," I stuttered. His eyes clouded with worry for a moment.

"Not long, I'd hope. I really need to get a better shade on that door if you're going to be in here more often," Mark chuckled, winking at me. I couldn't help but smile back, even if I was panicking on the inside.

 _Fuck_ _me_ _._ _Arin_ _better_ _not_ _have_ _seen_ _anything_ _!_ I lamented to myself. _I'm_ _not_ _ready_ _for_ _..._ _whatever_ _would_ _happen_ _if_ _he_ _had seen_ _us_ _._

Mark smiled a little at me, taking my hand again. I chuckled, "Your face is bright red," I commented. He chuckled, running a hand across my cheek. "Your's is too. Like a tomato," he replied, smiling brightly. I shot him a playful glance.

"You want those cookies, don't you?" He said with a soft, deep voice, completely changing the subject. I nodded, glancing at the door with hungry eyes. Mark chuckled, and let go of my hand.

"I'll meet you out there. I just need to finish up some things and then we can go. Save me some cookies, okay?"he said with a wink. I smiled at him, and headed for the door. "And Jack?" He called to me. I turned to face his smiling gaze.

"Don't worry. Arin wouldn't tell anyone. He's a good dude," Mark consoled. I nodded silentely, and walked out the door.

With a running start, my socks helped me slide down the hard-wood floor of the hallway and into the kitchen. I looked around the room, and spotted a plate of freshly baked cookies sitting beside the microwave. I slid over to them.

No one was in the kitchen except me. I peeled back the clear plastic wrap that covered the cookies. Soft sugar cookies covered with pink, white, and green frosting. Suzy had cut them into different shapes: circles, stars, diamonds, triangles, and clovers.

I picked up a clover covered in green frosting. I smiled as I took a bite. It almost melted in my mouth. Some of the green sprinkles fell onto my shirt, but I brushed them off. I quickly finished it off. When I went to pick a white star cookie out of the pile, something caught my eye. Curiously, I picked it up from the middle of the cookie pile and examined it.

A pink, heart-shaped cookie with green sprinkles had been hidden carefully among the others. I looked around on the plate to see if there was another, but this appeared to be the only one.

Almost like a lightbulb went off in my head, a small smile formed on my face. I opened the drawer that was closest to me and searched through it. I pulled out a small ziploc bag. I put the cookie inside.

I searched around the kitchen some more. I picked up a pen and a piece of paper I found. Quickly, I scribbled something onto the page and tucked it in the bag with the cookie.

I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Frantically, I put the pen and notepad back were I found it. I tucked the cookie into my inner jacket pocket. In one quick motion, I closed the drawer, and leaned up against the counter. Nonchalantly, I ate my white star cookie as Mark's face appeared in the door way of the kitchen.

"Oh good! You saved me some!" He chuckled, picking a cookie from the plate behind me. "There are to many for me to eat alone," I replied with a cheeky smile.

We stood in the kitchen for a bit just eating our cookies. After he had finished his second cookie, Mark checked his watch. "Ready to go now?" He asked politely. I nodded, stuffing the rest of my cookie into my mouth and heading for the door.

I so badly wanted to wrap my fingers around his, but the temptation quickly diminished when I noticed Dan sitting on the couch in the living room.

"You guys heading out?" He asked, looking up from his laptop. I nodded. He stood up and walked toward us. "It was cool seein' you, man," he said, wrapping me in a hug. I chuckled and hugged him back briefly.

"Of course! Thank you again for leting me record with you and Ross," I replied. Dan smiled, patting my shoulder. "No problem! I'll tell the others you guys left," if I wasn't mistaken, I could have sworn he winked at me. But it was so subtle, I could barely catch it.

"See ya later, Mark!" Danny said, waving at him as he walked back to the couch. Mark waved back, "Yeah, see you tomorrow!"

We quickly slipped on our shoes. Mark fumbled with his keychain until he found the car keys. He held the door for me, as always, and we headed out.


	8. Chapter 8

The silver key slid into the slot, and, with a quick turn, the door unlocked. Mark swung it open for me, and I walked through. I set my bag on the ground just inside the entryway.

Mark had suggested that we stop by my apartment to pick up a few things. Just the essentials: my toothbrush, some clothes, and movies, of course. Can't have a movie da-er _night_ without movies right? Right.

"I'll go get the popcorn started if you start the movie," Mark said from behind me. I turned toward him as he closed the door, motioning to my bag.

"Uhm, which movie? There's like 24 _thousand_ of them!" I chuckled. Mark rolled his eyes. "Just pick your favorite. I don't mind," he replied, flashing me a smile.

As he walked into the kitchen, I rummaged through my duffel bag. _Where'd_ _it_ _go_ _?_ _I_ _swear_ _I_ _tossed_ _it_ _in_ _here_ _._ I sifted through action films and romantic comedies (Don't judge me! I happen to like 50 First Dates), searching for just the right movie. "Ah-ha!" I exclaimed, holding up the DVD case triumphantly.

"You found one?" Mark called to me from the kitchen. I ran over to the TV, trying to conceal the case from Mark's view. "Yes I did!" I replied.

The popping of popcorn could barely be heard coming from the kitchen. "What'd you pick?" Mark asked. He stood on his tip-toes by the microwave, trying to see me over the couch. I just grinned.

"If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise!" I called back. I opened the DVD player and carefully slid the movie into place. I grabbed the remote from the entertainment center, and flopped down on the couch.

The familiar logos of film companies flashed on the screen. I reached behind me and grabbed a soft blue blanket off the back of the couch to wrap myself up in. The rapid popping started to die down. The harsh beeping of the microwave was abruptly cut off by Mark, who took the bag out and poured some steaming popcorn into a large bowl.

He hurdled himself over the back of the couch, flopping down beside me. I grinned, taking some popcorn and tossing it into my mouth.

"Hey, blanket burrito. You gotta share," he scolded, playfully tugging at my snuggly cocoon. I recoiled further into my soft shell and stuck my tongue out at him.

"You snooze, you lose," I teased, curling into a ball on the couch. Mark wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I felt my cheeks warm a little at his touch.

It's funny that his touch _never_ fails to get me flustered, even though he's been hugging me and holding my hand a lot recently. Hell, we even had a hard-core make-out session in his recording room, the thought of which made me blush harder and my mouth moistened. Maybe I shouldn't call it that. You'd think I would have grown used to his closeness by now.

Hesitantly, I laid my head on Mark's shoulder. He looked down at me with a smile. I looked away quickly, grinning like a lovesick loser. I concealed my crimson face in the blanket. We snuggled up close on the couch, sharing a large bowl of popcorn and watching trailers for movies that have long since been released.

I still refused to give up the blanket, however. It's mine now. Mark held a piece of popcorn in front of my face. I went to grab it, but he pulled it away. "No hands," he said with a smirk. I sighed, rolling my eyes. I gingerly took the piece of popcorn out of his fingers with my teeth, trying not to bite his fingers. He chuckled, and I nudged him playfully, laughing myself.

"Jack, is this what I think it is?" Mark asked. I shrugged, smiling widley as the green LucasFilms logo showed up on the screen.

I chuckled. "Depends. Which one do you think it is?" Mark ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"This had better not be _The Phantom Menace_ ," he cringed. I huffed loudly, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Come on, Mark!" I exclaimed, nudging him with my shoulder again. "You said to pick out my _favorite_ movie. Who in their right mind has _The Phantom Menace_ as their favorite movie?"

Mark shrugged, stroking my shoulder with his hand. "Did you even bring your favorite movie?" He asked. I shook my head. "No, but I brought a movie that I thoroughly enjoy!" I said with a chuckle.

The Star Wars theme blared loudly from Mark's surround sound system, startling us both. I felt him jump a little, and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. I fumbled with the remote, turning down the volume to a decent level. _Ha_ _._ _Like_ _I'd_ _know_ _anything_ _about_ _a '_ _decent_ _volume'_ _._

The familiar yellow text scrolled upwards on the screen. It read "Episode IV: A New Hope". I looked up at Mark's beaming face.

"Starting with the best!" I chuckled, snuggling closer to him. His arm was still wrapped around me, but he had stopped stroking my shoulder. I repositioned myself so that my head rested more comfortably on his chest. He grinned.

"Thank god. I would've kicked you out if it had been anything else," he joked. I chuckled nervously. Mark noticed my discomfort and comfortingly stroked my arm again. "Hey, I'm just kidding. You can crash here whenever," he consoled me. I genuinely smiled. _Thank_ _you_ _._

As I sat next to him, occasionally tossing popcorn into each other's mouth and most of the time missing, I realized how lucky I was. Also how incredibly cheesy that moment was and how ridiculously cliché this next speech will sound, but that's beside the point.

I'm extremely lucky that I have found someone that cares so deeply about how I feel. Someone who will run into my workplace to tell my coworker that I won't be coming in today because I had an emotional breakdown in the front seat of his car. Someone who had breakfast with me and drives me to work every morning without being asked, and asks for nothing in return except a genuine smile and a hug. Maybe even a kiss or two.

I'm lucky to have someone who will try to toss popcorn into my mouth, and apologize for half an hour when it accidentally lands in my eye, even though it really didn't hurt. I also realized that I'm not just lucky, but incredibly selfish.

 _I_ broke down in his car and asked him to take time out of _his_ day to explain why I couldn't go to work. _I_ broke down because _I_ wasn't making as much money as him _._ I haven't done anything to return the favor except make him breakfast once. And I didn't even make it! I set out a bowl and a box of cereal, and _he_ poured it! I didn't even have the balls to kiss him. _He_ kissed me twice and I didn't even kiss him back until the last second. I gave him a peck on the cheek once while he was sleeping. That's it. I'm a selfish coward.

I tried not let my inner turmoil show as I tossed another piece of popcorn into Mark's mouth. Thankfully, I don't think he noticed my furrowed brow. I don't deserve to be lucky enough to have him. Not a bit. Yet here he is, watching Star Wars with me on his couch.

I tried not to focus on my thoughts. I turned my attention to the movie. We were nearly half-way through already. I repositioned myself again so that I was sitting up with my head resting on Mark's shoulder. He continued stroking my shoulder reassuringly.

 _Of_ _course_ _._ _He_ _can_ _always_ _tell_ _when_ _I'm_ _upset_ _,_ I thought to myself. _Maybe_ _I'm_ _just_ _so_ _easy_ _to_ _read_ _._ _Or_ _maybe_ _..._

I felt my eyelids growing heavier and heavier each minute. The rhythmic beating of Mark's heart in my ear matched with his soothing shoulder rubs lulled me into a sleepy haze.

 _Good_ _thing_ _I_ _set_ _my_ _alarm_ _._ I told myself before I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep on his shoulder.

* * *

 

I woke up to an odd sensation shooting up my leg. I could hear a muffled sound coming from my back pocket. I opened my eyes just a crack. Outside, the sky was a deep, dark blue. The TV and the DVD player were turned off, and I was no longer resting on Mark's shoulder. _He_ _must've_ _turned_ _them_ _off_ _and_ _went_ _up_ _to_ _bed_ _after_ _I_ _fell_ _asleep_ _._

I carefully rolled over and pulled my phone out of my pocket. The noise got louder. I covered the speaker with my finger to muffle the sound of Bonetrousle. My alarm had been set to wake me up at 5:15 a.m.

I groaned and shut it off. I placed my phone on the coffee table and rolled over on the couch. Covering my head with the blanket I was wrapped up in, I tried to fall back to sleep. "Who the fuck set my alarm to go off at the crack of dawn...," I muttered.

Suddenly my eyes shot open. I remember _exactly_ why my alarm was set to go off so early. I threw off the blanket and ran, quietly, to the dining table. I grabbed Mark's keys, a jacket, and my phone and ran out door. I gently closed it, trying my best not to wake up Mark.

I flew down the stairs, coming to a halt at the front desk. The late-night worker was napping in his chair. "Hey," I asked politely. He cracked open an eye and sighed.

"Yeah, how can I help you," he said groggily. I asked him for directions and he pointed me the right way. He handed me a slip of paper with a sequence of digits on it. I thanked him and sprinted off in the direction he pointed to. I pulled the jacket on as I ran; there was no time to waste.

* * *

 

I debated texting Mark to wake him up. It's been half an hour since I woke up, and I had just finished setting everything up. It was almost time.

However, I was worried that the text wouldn't wake him, so I started in the direction of the lobby again. I looked back to make sure everything was perfect before running off.

* * *

 

"Mark," I whispered, prodding his shoulder gently. "Markle Sparkle," I said, shaking him a little. He grunted and rolled over in his bed, his back to me. I sighed in annoyance. Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, I noticed that it was edging closer and closer to the time.

"Mark wake up. I need to show you something," I said, a tad bit louder and more urgent this time. With a groan, he sat up. He blinked multiple times as he tried to wake himself up.

"What is it?" he mumbled. I grabbed his hand. "Follow me. Put on a jacket or something. Hurry!" I urged him. He slid his feet into a pair of slippers he had by the bed and let me drag him out the door.

"Are you wearing my jacket?" He asked. I looked down at my arm briefly, and nodded. "Yeah, just wear mine," I said quickly. He grabbed my blue hoodie from the coat hanger by the door and slipped it on over his shoulders. He wasn't wearing a shirt today, and I didn't want him to catch a cold.

I tugged on his arm, leading him out of his apartment, and up the stairs. Mark stumbled behind me, still trying to wake up. "What is it?" He asked. I didn't answer, but a small smile lit up my face. My heart raced, and not because I was getting a killer workout.

As we reached the last step, I quickly typed in the pass code to the door and swung it open. "How do you know that?" He asked. I rolled my eyes with a smirk. "I'll explain later. But look!" I said, motioning him to go through the open door.

With a confused glance at me, Mark stepped out onto the roof of his apartment building. His eyes lit up when he saw my handiwork in the middle of the rooftop.

A red flannel blanket that I got out of his car was laid out on the ground. On the table next to it, were two steaming cups of hot chocolate and a plate of mini muffins.

Awestruck, Mark stepped toward the blanket. "Jack...did you?" He asked, turning to face me. I nodded, stepping up to meet him. "Why?" he asked gently. I stayed silent, linking my arm with his. We walked over to the set-up.

As we sat I pointed at the sky. "That's why," I said. Mark followed my gaze and smiled softly. The sun was beginning to peek over the L.A. buildings, chasing away the cold night and spreading it's warm rays across our faces.

I glanced over at Mark, who watched orange and pink clouds push away the stars with bright eyes. I handed him a cup of hot chocolate, which he gratefully took. We sat in silence for a while, just watching the sunrise and sipping our cocoa. After a while I took a deep breath and turned to face Mark.

"Hey..Mark?" I started hesitantly. He looked over at me, his brows furrowed with concern. I swallowed a lump in my throat before continuing. "Can you check your pockets for me? I think I left something in them,"

In confusion, Mark reached inside one pocket and pulled out the pink heart-shaped cookie with green sprinkles that Suzy had made. He chuckled, handing it to me. I shook my head, telling him to keep it.

"There's a note in the bag for you," I told him. "But don't read it yet. I have to tell you something," I took a long deep breath before continuing.

"Do you remember that time when you drove me to work and asked me what we were?" He nodded. "Well, I honestly wasn't sure. You are my closest friend. You're always there to support me when I need you and I feel like I can tell you anything. Wh-whenever you hug me, I blush. I don't fuckin' know why I _still_ do, but I can take a guess.

"Mark, I'm not going to lie to you, and I never _ever_ will. When you invited me over for the first time...the reason I didn't want to stay was because...because I felt something. I didn't know what at the time, but it confused and scared me. Over time, with each visit, I started to realize what it was. I didn't want to bring it up, in case it jeopardized our friendship, but when you asked me what we were...I really had time to think. And now...I think...no, I know what we are. Er...well what I want us to be."

The sun rose higher in the sky, illuminating Mark's soft features and handsome smile. My heart was beating like mad, and I could feel my face get warmer. Mark's eyes sparkled with sincerity and interest, urging me to go on. I took a shaky breath and looked him right in his chocolate eyes.

"Mark Fischbach...I...I love you." Suddenly, it felt like the weight of the whole world was lifted off my shoulders. I took his hand in mine. With a new flood of confidence, I continued.

"I love everything about you. The way you run your fingers through your hair, that little sparkle you get in your eye when your favorite song comes on the radio....I love how your comforting voice can diminish any doubts I have in my mind. I love the way you walk; your confident stride with a smile that could light up an entire room. But most of all...I love _you_ _,"_ I confessed.

"J-Jack..." he whispered. He looked away, breaking our eye contact. I almost felt my heart shatter. _All_ _these_ _battles_ _I've_ _had_ _with_ _myself_ _,_ _trying_ _to_ _convince_ _myself_ _that_ _I_ _had_ _enough_ _courage_ _to_ _tell_ _him_ _,_ _lead_ _up_ _to_ _this_ _?_

Tears stung my eyes. I tried not to sniffle, fighting back my disappointment. Mark looked at me again. His eyebrows shot up in alarm, and held my hand tightly. He wiped a stray tear off my cheek. "Jack, why are you crying? I've been waiting for you to say that ever since I met you. I've been wanting to say it too. I love you too, Jackaboy," he said with his soft, deep voice, smiling softly.

My eyes widened. All the doubts I previously had disappeared once and for all. They exploded in my mind like fireworks. Tears of joy streamed down my face. I lunged at him, clashing my lips with his.

He fell on his back as all my body weight collided with his. I kissed him over and over. He chuckled and kissed me back. He wrapped me in a tight hug. I pulled away for a brief moment just to ask him, "So this means we're dating now, right?"

He laughed and nodded. I beamed, burrowing my face into the crook of his neck. The sun had risen completely by now, illuminating us both. Our arms wrapped around each other.

* * *

 

We walked down the stairs, hand in hand, back to his apartment. I held the red flannel blanket, folded up, and under my arm. I also carried the empty plate of mini muffin crumbs while Mark held the cups that once contained hot chocolate.

"So...how _did_ you get access to the roof?" He asked, squeezing my hand a bit. I shrugged. "I told the guy working at the front desk my plans and he gave me the code to the roof," I said, smiling at him. Mark looked at me in disbelief; his jaw dropped.

"You got _Kyle_ to do something for you?" He said in astonishment. "He hardly ever does anything for anyone but himself! How the hell did you convince him?"

I shrugged again. "I dunno. He seemed willing enough to me," I replied, "I guess you just weren't asking nicely," Mark ran his fingers through his hair with a grin; I couldn't hold back my smile.

"You're incredible, you know that?" he said softly. I chuckled, my cheeks turning rosy. "Well, you're re _MARK_ able!" I exclaimed with a laugh, nudging him playfully.

He rolled his eyes. "Like I haven't heard that one before," he teased. I gave him a peck on the cheek as we reached the exit to Mark's floor. "But it's special now because I said it, right?" I smirked, nudging him playfully, and we laughed in unison.

I feel like an entirely new person. I'm so much more confident now that my feelings aren't bottled up inside me like a soda that's been shaken up. It's a wonderful feeling of relief, and I've never been so happy in my life.

We walked over to a trash can and dropped off the paper plate and empty coffee cups. With his free hand, Mark wrapped his arm around my waist. He pulled me closer to him, and we started to walk back to his apartment. He felt so warm and comforting. I almost melted into him. _That_ _was_ _stupid_ _._ _Who_ _the_ _hell_ _would_ _even_ _say_ _that_ _?_

"You know why I chose to wake you up at 5 am to show you that?" I asked, brushing off my last thought. Mark looked at me with a smile, shaking his head. "Because I thought it'd be kinda poetic. The sunrise could symbolize the dawn of a new relationship," I said softly.

After a moment of silence from Mark, I chuckled, "That sounded a lot less corny in my head," Mark lightly kissed my forehead. He looked me in the eyes and smiled. "It was pretty corny. But I like it,"

We laughed on our way back to his apartment. I was so glad I didn't have to work today, so I could spend the whole day with him. Melly usually has school at this time, and she works the late shift afterwards. I get the weekdays to record videos.

"Maybe after you read my note, we can record some videos together " I suggested. Mark grinned and nodded contently. "But you have to read the note first!" I pointed out.

"I can't right now, my hands are full," he joked, motioning towards me. Rolling my eyes, I pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him. We shared the cookie on the rooftop as we watched the sun rise. He insisted on waiting to open the note until we got to his apartment. I could tell he was just as excited to read it as I was.

Mark started to slowly unfold the paper. He looked over at me curiously, and I urged him on. He continued unfolding it, slower than before. "Come on, Mark! Don't be that guy," I teased. He just laughed, and slowed down even more.

Suddenly my phone started to ring. It was the Pokemon theme song: Melly's ringtone. I looked over at Mark and apologized, "Hang on. Don't read it without me!" I said with a firm smile. He nodded silently, folding it back up as I answered the phone.

"What's up, Mel-Bell?" I responded cheerfully with the clever nickname I gave her a while ago. I just love rhyming nicknames! Markle Sparkle is my favorite, by far. I wish I had come up with it.

"Jack!" She exclaimed; she sounded desperate. Instantly, my smile disappeared. "Mel? What's wrong?" I asked. My brow furrowed. Mark's eyes widened. He got as close as he could, trying to listen in on the conversation.

"Jack, I need your help. Please! I-I've got myself in a bad spot right now," she said, whispering into the phone. "P-please I...I need to get out of here," We could hear her starting to break down on the other side of the phone. Mark and I exchanged desperate glances. I let go of Mark's hand. He put the note back into his pocket.

"Melly were are you? Mark and I will come and get you," I said, trying to sound calm. My mind was reeling, my hands shook. Her voice quivered in fear, "I'm at the high s-school, in the b-back by the dumpsters,"

I tossed Mark his keys. He took my hand again, and lead the way as we ran back down the stairs. "Mel, we're on our way. Can you stay on the phone?" I asked desperately.

"Y-yes," she whispered. She gasped, "N-n-no I can't. Their coming!"

"Melly, don't leave the campus. We'll be there as soon as we can! Be careful! Find a place to hide!" I told her urgently before she hung up. I looked at Mark. We were both scared for her. Arguably, I was more afraid than him.

We reached the last step and burst out the front doors. Mark rapidly unlocked his car and jumped in behind the wheel. I leapt in the passenger side, throwing the blanket I had been carrying in the back seat. Mark started the car and took off to the high school before I even had the chance to buckle up.

We drove as fast as the speed limit would allow. Our faces were clouded with worry for the brown haired girl. She'd never done anything wrong; how could she have ended up in a situation like this?

Mark stayed silent, his eyes glued to the road. My mind raced. Melly is like the little sister I never had. She's always been there to support me when I needed her most. She helped me through my rough patch; she was the first friend I made when I moved to LA. Now it's time for me to repay the favor.

Mark cursed loudly as he ran a yellow light, which surprised me since he had been quiet this entire time. I was trying my hardest not to panic as he veered into the high school parking lot. I tore off my seat belt and swung open the door before he had turned off the car. I jumped out and started to run towards the back of the building.

Mark caught up with me. He took my hand, and I flashed him a look of concern. Tears pricked the edges of my eyes. "What if-," I started, afraid to finish my sentence. Mark shook his head silently and squeezed my hand. He was afraid too.

We sprinted towards the dumpsters, with me leading the way. I ran so fast that Mark had trouble keeping up. I came to an abrupt stop, listening closely for any sign of the girl in distress. Not to far away, I heard loud footsteps and shouting. They sounded like they were running. I took off in the direction of the sound.

I quickly pulled ahead of Mark again, letting go of his hand. I had to find Mel before she got hurt. I stopped near the back of the gym building. Ahead of me, I could see the football field, and kids running the track. The coach yelled at them to go faster.

"No!" I cried out, and turned back towards the dumpster. Mark stood at the wall, breathing heavily. Tears ran down my face. "Go, I'll be right behind you," he told me, wiping a tesr from my face. I gave him a brief hug, thanked him, and took off again.

_We're coming Mel-Bell. Just hang in there._


	9. Chapter 9

I desperately ran through the campus. "Melly!" I screamed, "Mel!" There was no response. My knees started to shake, and my calves burned from all the running around I've done today. I was determined to find her, and nothing would stand in my way. Even if that means I collapse from exhaustion.

I ran around another wall and saw a pair of boys huddled in a corner. There was a ginger girl standing in front of them, one hand on her hips. Puffs of smoke blew out of her mouth like a chimney. I ducked behind the wall, listening in on their conversation without being seen.

"Where is she?" scolded the girl. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I turned around to see Mark joghing up to me. I shushed him, silently motioning for him to get down. He nodded, crouching down beside me. We listened to the conversation with baited breath.

"I don't know! One minute she was here, and the next she's gone," replied a gruff voice. A more pubecent, cracking voice chimed in, "She probably went to the art room to hide again,"

I didn't stop to hear the rest. I didn't care what they had to say, or even if they were talking about Melly. I could only assume. "Stay here. And be ready to get the car," I firmly told Mark. He nodded, and I sprinted off. I heard shouting, then loud footsteps behind me. I cautiously turned around. The girl ran after the boys, putting out her cigarette on the gravel beneath her feet. They charged towards me, but I had the upper hand: I was far ahead of them.

I desperately looked around until I found a sign that pointed towards to the art room. My lungs burned, but I never slowed. I heard the footsteps catching up to me. I rounded a corner and burst through the doors to the building.

There was no one inside the dark room. Large drafting tables stood quietly around the room, presumably for the art students to work on. Everything was dead silent. I listened closely and heard muffled whimpering coming from one of the lockers in the back of the room.

"Melly?" I called softly. I glanced behind me nervously. Through the window in the door, I could see the teens rounding the corner. "Mel!" I shouted again. One of the tall lockers on the side of the room replied, "Jack?"

"Melly! Which locker are you in?" I said, running over and looking them up and down. A knock came from one on my right. I flung it open. Melly's face was bright red and stained with tears. Her jeans were torn, revealing a large, painful looking gash on her calf. She stepped out and gave me a huge hug.

"I'm so glad you're here!" She said, her face buried into my chest. I felt her tears on my shirt. I hugged her back, kissing the top of her head comfortingly. The boys ran into the door with a heavy thud, breaking the cherished silence. We could hear the ginger snapping at the boys and saw her fiercely pushing them back.

"We need to go. Now," I said urgently as the door handle rattled. I grabbed Mel's hand and kicked the front door open. The girl gasped and fell back. The two boys caught her before she landed. "Top o' the mornin' to ya," I said quickly, before pushing past them. The girl shouted at them, and the chase was on once more.

Mel and I rounded the corner. I pulled out my phone and called Mark. He picked up after the first ring. "I found her! Get the car started now!" I demanded before quickly hanging up. He didn't even get a chance to respond. I looked back at Melly, keeping a tight grip on her hand.

She hobbled along as fast as she could. I urged her to run faster, but she kept stumbling. Desperate to get her to safety, I swept her up in my arms and continued to run.

Thankfully, she's so light that I was able to run at a decent pace. Still, it was like running with an armful of logs. Small droplets of blood dripped onto the ground from her leg, leaving behind a red trail. "Look!" Mel exclaimed.

Mark's blue Prius could be seen through a gap in the buildings. I squeezed through the narrow passageway and greeted Mark. Carefully, I set Mel down on the ground and pulled open the door. She climbed into the back, and I jumped in beside her.

As soon as the door closed, Mark took off. "Mark we need to take her to the hospital!" I said urgently. She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I can't afford a trip to the hospital over a little scrape like this," She motioned to her bleeding calf.

I tried to rebuttle, "But-,"

"No, Jack," she said firmly. Her blue eyes softened. "I'll be fine," I searched her eyes in concern, before sighing and giving in. "Take us home, Mark," I muttered. "We'll fix her up there."

* * *

 

"What happened to you? Are you sure you're alright?" I asked, holding Mel's hand to steady her as she stepped out of the car. Mark ran around and helped support her other side. She wrapped her arms around our shoulders and limped into Mark's apartment complex.

"I'm fine. Just...my leg hurts," she said in between heavy breaths. "It's a long story," We got to the elevator and Mark pushed the button. He turned around and locked his car, pressing the button twice, just to make sure.

"You can tell us when you're settled down," He said reassuringly. The elevetor chimed and the doors opened. We helped her inside.

"T-thank you," Melly said as the doors closed behind us. She leaned against the wall, hanging onto the railing inside to steady herself. I rested my hand on her shoulder. She took several deep breaths, before sighing in relief.

"Of course," I told her. "You're like my little sister. I won't let anyone hurt you," Her eyes sparkled gently as she looked up at me. A huge smile formed on her face.

"I-I am?" she stammered. As I nodded, she threw her arms around my neck in a tight hug. Mark chuckled, wearing a smile. I smiled back at him, returning her hug.

"I totally would've kicked their asses. But I was to concerned for your safety," I said once Mel had let go. I puffed out my chest a little, smirking. She giggled and Mark rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Jack," she said after she had calmed down a little. "And you too, Mark," She gave him a hug. The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open once more. Mark fumbled with his keys as I helped Melly hobble over to his apartment. He swung the door open for us.

"Wow!" She gasped, looking around the large room, "It's cleaner than I thought!" Mark was taken aback by this, "Excuse me! But I'm not a slob!" He replied.

I laughed, helping her over to the couch. "Relax, Markimoo, I'm only joking," she said, giggling. As she sat down, she winced. Her leg had stopped bleeding for now.

"Mark, can you-," I started. He nodded and went to get the first aid kit. Mel leaned back on the couch, her face scrunched up in pain. "I-I'm sorry I interuppted you guys," she apologized. She tried to avoid eye contact, which is something she does when she feels guilty.

"No, no you didn't," I consoled her, wrapping my arms around her in a gentle hug. "Let me get you some ice," I said slowly getting up.

"Jack?" She said, grabbing my sleeve. I looked down at her with soft eyes. It was the first time I was able to actually look at her today. She had a scratch on the bridge of her nose, and her favorite blue hoodie was torn. Her hands her dirty and small scrapes patterned her palms. Her jeans were dirty and grass stained.

I was trying to hold back the tears that formed in my eyes. I didn't want to see her like this, torn up and bleeding. Yet she smiled softly at me. "Yeah?" I replied, keeping my voice steady behind a wall of emotion.

"Thank you," she said softly as she let go of my sleeve.

* * *

 

After Mark came back with the first aid kit, he and I helped Melly limp to the bathroom. She insisted on taking a shower to clean herself off, refusing either of our offers to help her. "I need my privacy, dingbats!" She had exclaimed, after locking the bathroom door.

Mark threw her dirty clothes in the wash and offered her some of his own clothes. Now _this_ she accepted. Once she was clean, we helped her dress her wounds. The gash in her left leg ran from her ankle to just below her knee cap, but thankfully it wasn't deep enough for stitches.

Mark spread some antiseptic on the gash and bandaged it up as best as he could. I then wrapped up her calf to keep out infection. Thankfully the cut on her nose just needed a band-aid. She rubbed some Neosporin into the palms of her hands to soothe the scrapes, then wrapped them up as well.

Now we're all sitting on the couch together. I longed to curl up with Mark and rest my head on his shoulder, but Mel sat between us. She was wrapped up in the blue blanket I had used earlier this morning, sipping hot cocoa out of Mark's favorite mug.

She wore a pair of his sweatpants that were almost to big for her. The red T-shirt she wore fit perfectly, however. Her wounded leg was propped up on the table with an ice bag on top of the wound. She looked pretty comfortable now, despite the occasional pain-filled wince.

"So, what happened back there?" Mark asked calmly. She swallowed the marshmallow that she had in her mouth and took a deep breath.

"Well, I was walking to class when that ginger, Ginger, and her two goons, Spencer and Ian, stopped me. They must've heard the rumor that I had an affair with Ginger's asshole boyfriend," she began casually, taking another sip of cocoa. My eyes widened in shock. "You did what!?"

"No no!" She said quickly. "It's a rumor! Not. True! Jack, if I had sex with someone, hell if I even got a boyfriend, you'd be the first to know. You'd tell me if you got lucky, right?" she asked. I exchanged a glance with Mark, who had narrowed his eyes.

I chuckled nervously, "Uh... thanks...Mel. I-uh..yeah I'd totally tell you. If something happened," Mark raised an eyebrow in suspicion. I shook my head lightly and mouthed "No,". Apparently, she didn't notice our exchange, and continued on with her story.

"Well, anyways, Ginger went off on me. I tried to tell her that it wasn't true, but she sent her dumb goons out on me. I ran away, but they caught up and threw me on the ground, which is how I scratched my hands. I tried to run again. But as I got up, one of the boys threw a rock at me. It scraped my nose," she pointed at the cut on her face matter-of-factly.

She started to shake a little. Mark placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she went on,

"When I thought I had finally got away and I hid behind a tree in the corner of the campus, Ginger lept out at me and tackled me to the ground. She shouted at me some more. I tried to shove her off. Eventually, I succeeded. As I was escaping, my pantleg got stuck on the bottom of the metal fence. She pushed me up against it, and I cut my leg.

"That's when I ran to the dumpster to call you. Thank god you found me when you did, or I'd be in a lot more pain," she finished, her voice was quivering at this point. Tears pricked at my eyes again, and Mark gave her a big hug. "I'm so sorry, Mel," he said, letting her go.

"Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?" I asked, wiping away a stray tear. She smiled softly. "Maybe later. Thank you guys," she said. She chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

"Gingers really don't have souls," she joked. I smiled weakly. I'm just glad she can joke about this so easily so soon after it happened. Then she bowed her head slightly. Tears stained her sweatpants.

There was a silence. I wrapped my arm around her comfortingly. Mark held her hand and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. _Just_ _like_ _he_ _does_ _to_ _me_ _when_ _I_ _need_ _it_ _._ I thought with a soft grin. Melly covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders started to shake. I looked up at Mark in concern.

He looked at her, then at me. His eyes were filled with worry. "Hey, Mel-Bell," I said softly. She glanced at me through her long brown hair. "Do you want us to take you home, or do you want to hang out with us?" I continued slowly. She sat up straight, wiping her eyes.

She hesitated to answer, but when she did, it didn't surprise me. "C-can I hang out with you?" She stuttered. I glanced at Mark, who nodded silently, "Of course you can," he told her. His deep voice sent chills up my back. Mel smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a thankful hug.

"Thank you," she said softly. Mark chuckled and hugged her back. "You're welcome. But right now, Jack and I have to record some videos for tomorrow. Do you mind staying down here?" He asked calmly. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"No, I'll be good. As long as you don't mind me using your Netflix account to watch Scrubs," she smirked. Mark rolled his eyes, smiling a little. I chuckled.

"Alright, fine. But only Scrubs!" He scolded playfully. She played along, pouting, "But Mr. Iplier, can't I watch My Little Pony too?" I burst out laughing, as the two bickered about what she can and can't watch.

Eventually, she won the rights to watch My Little Pony, Scrubs, and whatever other show she wanted to watch. Mark's rule was: "As long as it isn't porn, you can watch it," She even got permission to his Hulu so she could watch anime.

"Man, being on the debate team at school has finally paid off," she joked. I stood up and patted her on the shoulder. "Be back in an hour or two, okay Mel? Text me if you need anything!" She smiled at me and nodded as I followed Mark up the stairs.

She turned on the T.V. Behind us, we could hear Japanese voices. "Thanks for letting her stay here for the day, Mark," I whispered to him as we walked up the stairs.

"Jack, I'm just as concerned about her as you are," Mark replied once we reached the top. He looked down at her from the landing. She danced in her seat to the opening for One Punch Man, and I had to resist the urge to run down and join her. She suddenly stopped, wincing as she rubbed her shoulder.

"I hope she'll be okay," I muttered. Mark held my hand comfortingly. "If she wants to, she can stay the night here. As long as it's okay with her parents," he said. He pulled me away from the railing and down the hall to his recording room.

I shot one last look at her over my shoulder before turning back to Mark. "You know her mom, right? You said your parents and her's were friends in high school," I asked. He nodded and pulled out his phone, "I have her number. And you work with both of them. So she knows her daughter is in capable hands," he replied.

I held the door open for him. He walked in and sat down at the desk, preparing everything to record. I pulled up a chair next to him and sat down. "What do we play?" I asked him, changing the subject. He pulled up a game, and I nodded solemnly.

The topic of Melly's safety loomed in the back off our heads. We tried to be as energetic as we could to keep our minds off it. Yet after every recording, I sprinted down the hall to check on her from the railing. I kept an eye on my phone, ready to lauch out of my seat at a moment's notice.

After we finished recording everything, Mark took my hand and looked me in the eyes. I leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. When I pulled away, he took the note out of his pocket and waved it in front of my face. I scooted closer to him, bearing a smile on my face as he opened it.

 _"Markimoo;_  
_If_ _you're_ _reading_ _this_ _,_ _that_ _means_ _I_ _finally_ _got_ _the_ _guts_ _to_ _tell_ _you_ _how_ _I_ _really_ _feel_ _. I_ _really_ _hope_ _I_ _didn't_ _screw_ _it_ _up_ _._ _If_ _I_ _did_ _,_ _I_ _meant_ _to_ _say_ _that_ _I_ _love_ _you_ _and_ _I_ _want_ _to_ _be_ _with_ _you_ _forever_ _._ _I_ _enjoy_ _your_ _company_ _,_ _and_ _I_ _hate_ _going_ _home_ _without_ _you_ _by_ _my_ _side_ _._ _A_ _fter_ _you_ _finish_ _reading_ _this_ _,_ _please_ _look_ _me_ _in_ _the_ _eyes_ _and_ _tell_ _me_ _how_ _you_ _feel_ _._

 _-_ _Love_ _you_ _always_ _,_ _Jackaboy_ _"_

Mark turned to me with a huge smile. His brown eyes softened. Before he could even say anything, I threw my arms around his neck and pushed my lips against his.

I felt him smile and kiss me back.

My phone buzzed loudly, interrupting our 'post-recording make-out session', as Mark so fondly calls it. I abruptly pulled away from his soft lips and checked my messages. It was from Melly.

I didn't even read it. I leapt off of Mark's lap and raced out the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mark lean back in his chair, place his hands behind his head, and sigh. _I'm_ _sorry_ _,_ _Marky_ _,_ I thought as I raced down the stairs and stopped beside the couch.

"What do you need? More ice? Something to eat? I can get you some more water," I said quickly. Mel giggled and handed me her purple water bottle. She carries this thing around where ever she goes. I swear she's married to it.

"Thank you, Jack. I could use some water. And a plate of cheese and crackers sounds pretty good right now, but-" she started. I was already in the kitchen, slicing up the cheese and arranging it on a plate of Ritz crackers; the water bottle sat, overflowing, in the sink.

Melly giggled again, "Jack, I wasn't finished!" She called to me. I looked up from the cheese block and shut off the faucet. "Sorry, go on," I apologized. I picked up the plate of snacks and walked back over to her.

Handing her the water bottle and plate, I leaned on the back of the couch. "Thank you. I was going to ask if you've called my mom and told her where I am yet," She said, taking a sip of her water. I raised an eyebrow and pointed to her clearly fully charged phone.

"Why can't you do it," I asked curiously. She let out a deep sigh. "Because if I call her, she'll think I skipped school and I'll get in trouble. If you do it, she'll probably be more understanding," she explained, handing her phone to me.

I rolled my eyes and went to dial her mom's number. I smiled softly at her home screen. It was a picture of her and me in the break room, making funny faces at the camera. That was an unusually slow day at the diner, and we had some time to kill. I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was more than a month ago. She still had her brown hair. She had recently dyed her bangs purple.

Her mom picked up almost instantly. "Hello? Michelle, why aren't you at school right now!" She shouted sternly. I tried to stifle a laugh. _Mel's_ _full_ _name_ _is_ _Michelle_ _?_ _I_ _knew_ _it_ _had_ _to_ _have_ _been_ _longer_ _than_ _Melly_ _!_ _Oh I am so using that,_ I cleared my throat, dismissing my maniacal thought. "Um, hello Suzy. It's Sean," I said.

Her tone instantly shifted. "Why hello, Sean. Why are you using my daughter's phone?" She asked. Her calm voice made me feel a little uneasy. I rubbed the back of my neck anxiously. "Well, here's the thing,"

As Mel munched on her crackers, I explained my part of the story to her mother. She was _definitely_ not happy that her daughter called her co-worker before she had called her own mother. I handed the phone to Mel, and she told her mom what had happened from her perspective. When asked why she called me first, she floundered a little and frantically handed the phone back to me. Suzy then sternly told me to bring Mel home immediately. I sighed in agreement before apologizing for taking her out of school and politely hanging up.

"We have to take you home now, Michelle," I told her with a smirk. She whipped around to face me, her eyes wide in shock. "Mom used my full name," she muttered inaudibly. "Look, please don't tell anyone," she begged, clasping her hands together with pleading eyes. I chuckled and patted her shoulder lightly.

"Don't worry, I won't," I promised. She flashed me a reassured smile and started to clean up her mess. I took her plate to the kitchen sink and rinsed it off.

I didn't want her to go home yet. I knew I'd be worried sick about her all night long. But, so would her mother, if we had kept her here. Mel sighed heavily and reluctantly turned the T.V. off. I called Mark down, and explained the whole situation. He glanced at the girl on his couch, his eyes soft with worry.

Carefully, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the door. "Mark, I can walk," she chuckled. Concern clouded his eyes again as he carefully set her on the ground. She wobbled a bit, wincing at the pain. "Don't overexert yourself, Mel," he warned, steading her as she slipped on her shoes. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to help support her as we walked out the door and to the elevator again.

* * *

 

"I'll bring your clothes to work on Friday, okay?" I told her as we helped her out of the car. She nodded quietly.

The whole car ride had been silent. I sat in the front with Mark, resisting the urge to hold his hand as he drove. We agreed not to tell anyone until we were ready. Not even Melly. She was too disappointed that she had to go home to speak anyways. I offered to sit with her, but she politely declined.

"Thank you guys," she repeated. "And I'll give these to Jack on Friday," she said to Mark, motioning to the clothes he had lent her. Mark shrugged it off, "Don't worry about it. That shirt looks better on you anyways," he joked. She smiling lightly, her cheeks turning a little rosy.

"Just call us if I need anything and your mom's at work," Mark said while giving her a brief hug at the door. She nodded again and thanked him for the clothes. He told her that he did want the sweatpants back, which invited another smile on Mel's scarred face.

The concerned mother swung the door wide open. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw her beaten and bruised 17 year old daughter standing at the door with two grown men supporting her on each side. "Thank you boys," she said before pulling her daughter into a massive hug.

Suzy's tears stained Mel's new shirt. I nodded solemnly, and Mark apologized for what had happened. I have never seen my hard-ass boss reduced to tears before, and I hope I never had to see it again. It broke my heart to see them so vulnerable.

"Same bat time," Mel said, as we turned to go. I looked back with a small smile. "Same bat channel," I replied softly. She chuckled lightly and closed the door with a wave.

As we returned to the car, I looked over my shoulder one last time. Through the window I could see Melly hugging her mom who was still crying into her shoulder. Mel stroked her mom's hair comfortingly. I looked away, tears pricking my eyes once more.

Mark took my hand in his. "We did all we could. She's safe now," he said with his comfortingly deep voice. He planted a gentle kiss on my hand. "It's not your fault,"

He held the car door open for me and I climbed into the passenger seat. "I know," I replied, staring at my hands. "I just wish she could've stayed with us for now. I'm gonna be worrying about her all week!" Mark stroked my hair comfortingly.

"Jackaboy," he said softly, "She'll be _fine_ _._ Besides, now it's just us for the week. No interruptions unless she calls us," he smiled. I sniffled, looking up at him. His brows were knitted with sympathy, but his eyes sparkled with something I've never seen before.

A little lightbulb went off in my head, and I beamed. I tried looked through the window, but I couldn't see Mel very well. Swiftly, I turned back to Mark with a smile.

"Let's go back to my place then," I whispered, kissing Mark's cheek. He nodded, started the car, and pulled away. He held my hand on the ride back. Occasionally, he'd stroke my knuckles or kiss my hand. He had a huge smile on his face the entire ride.

When we pulled up to my apartment building, he ran to the elevator. I walked behind him, smiling brightly. My legs burned from all the exercise I had today. But Mark's excitement kept me going.

Only one other person was in the elevator today. An old man with a white moustache that lived in the apartment below mine. Anxiously, I toyed with Mark's fingers behind his back. We exchanged playful glances at each other.

As soon as the man left and the elevator doors closed, I showered Mark with kisses. The elevator dinged at our stop, and we raced down the hallway. I skidded to a stop in front of my door, fumbling with my keys. I quickly unlocked my apartment and we raced inside. Mark slammed the door shut behind us.

I pressed my lips against his again, running my hands up and down his torso. His kisses became more lustful as mine became more passionate. I nipped at his lip playfully. Our kiss never broke as he took off my flannel and threw it across the room. I helped him take of his jacket, and tossed it behind me carelessly. I caressed his face, slipping in a little tounge.

Mark stopped to take off his shirt. I stared at his bare chest and delicately traced my finger along the scar on his stomach. I leaned in for another kiss before stopping inches from his lips. "Go," I whispered, and he ran off to the bedroom, taking off his pants along the way.

 _What_ _am_ _I_ _doing_ _?_ I thought as I rushed to the bathroom. _This_ _is_ _crazy_ _!_ I fumbled through a drawer until I found a small box. _This_ _is_ _way_ _too_ _soon_ _!_ I unzipped my pants.

_But, there's no going back now,_ _Jackaboy_ _!_


	10. Chapter 10

I felt a cold hand on my shoulder, softly shaking me awake. I slowly opened my eyes. Mark's smiling face greeted me. His dark hair was messed up; one strand had fallen haphazardly across his nose. I couldn't help but grin at how adorable it was.

"Good morning, sunshine," he teased quietly. I rubbed my eyes and stretched. "G'mornin' Marky," I mumbled groggily.

I opened my eyes a little more and took in my surroundings. Mark was laying beside me in my bed, shirtless. I looked around the room. My pants were strewn over the T.V., and Mark's shirt covered the lamp in the corner. The rest of our clothes were thrown wildly around the room. My eyes widened in surprise. I shot up, and looked around again.

"Mark, did you-?" I asked. He nodded calmly. "And I-?" He nodded again. "So we-?"

"Yes, Jack," he responded, sitting up beside me. I leaned back against my head board, running a hand through my hair. Cautiously, I peeked under the covers. My face flushed red, and I quickly covered up again.

Mark chuckled and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. "I'll go make us breakfast," he said with a grin. I ran my hand through my messy hair again, still in shock. "I'm gonna have to clean the sheets," I muttered.

Chuckling more as he rolled out of bed, Mark picked up his underwear off the floor and pulled them on. "Yeah, that's what happens," he said, turning back to me with a smirk. "Jack, why are you so surprised? You made the first move,"

My eyes widened again. "I-I did?" I stuttered. Mark nodded, raising an eyebrow slightly. A smile started to form across my face as memories came flooding back. I lept out of bed and jumped at him.

"I made the first move!" I exclaimed happily. "We really did it, and _I_ made the first move!" I gave him a big hug and burrowed my face into his neck.

"I always thought you'd be the one to make the first move," I exclaimed as I pulled away. Mark chuckled, "But I didn't," he said softly. He pushed his soft lips against mine for a sweet moment, before pulling away and smiling at me.

I started into his chocolate, puppy-dog eyes before giving him another (probably too long) hug. Mark patted my bare back awkwardly. He glanced down briefly, his cheeks turning bright red, before looking up again. He whispered, "You're still naked," into my ear, causing me to jump back, and pull the sheets over my lower half. My cheeks flushed red and I flashed him an awkward smile.

"S-so I am," I stuttered. "I'll just go change," I pointed to the bathroom and started to make my way there. I tripped on the sheet and fell, face first, onto the bed. Mark tried to stifle his amusement, but fell back on the bed beside me, clutching his stomach as he laughed. I chuckled slightly, before rolling onto my back and bursting into laughter right beside him.

* * *

 

"Here you go, Mr. First Move," he said, handing me a cup of fresh coffee with a peck on the cheek. I thanked him, taking pride in my new nickname. After our giggling fit, I took a brief shower and changed into some comfortable clothes. I threw the dirty sheets into the wash and remade our bed.

I took a cheerful sip of my coffee. Mark had made us breakfast burritos and coffee with my favorite beans to celebrate our first night together, as a couple. He sat down across from me with a content smile on his face. He had put on a shirt, but insisted on staying pantless. I didn't object to this.

"You've gotta shower after this," I reminded him, taking my first bite of the delicious breakfast. The soft, fluffy eggs nearly melted in my mouth. He was such a good cook! Mark chuckled, "Yeah, I know. But then what," he asked through a sip of his coffee.

I shrugged, "I dunno. We could play video games, for fun this time," I suggested. Mark nodded as he took a bite of his burrito.

"Or...we could watch a movie, or go for a walk around town," I continued. Mark covered his mouth courteously, "A walk sounds nice. How are your legs?" He asked.

My legs were still extremely sore from yesterday. I have never ran so much in my life! I really didn't want to go for even _more_ exercise today. _W_ _hy_ _the_ _hell_ _did_ _I_ _even_ _bring_ _it_ _up_ _?_ "Maybe...we shouldn't go for a walk," I advised, chuckling lightly.

"Alright, how about we visit Melly?" He suggested. For the first time all morning, the brunette popped back into my head. God, I hope she's alright. As concerned as I was about her, I really just wanted to hang out with Mark today. I knew she was safe at her house, and she would call us if she needed anything.

I shook my head slowly, "We'll call her later and see how she feels. I really just want to hang out with you," I replied. He smiled gratefully, and took my hand. "Sounds good to me," He said calmly.

"Then how about we just hang out here," I said. Mark nodded, smiling softly. "I'd like that. The videos we recorded the other day are set to upload today. I have to edit the ones we recorded yesterday though," he said, letting go of my hand so he could take another bite from his burrito. He wiped a bit of hot sauce off his cheek with a napkin.

"I haven't recorded anything for tomorrow, so I'll probably do that while you shower," I said, finishing off my coffee with a soft smile. Mark nodded through a mouthful of ham and scrambled egg. "In the meantime, I'll upload a video I recorded a couple days ago in case I stayed with you again," I said with a small grin.

"You pre-recorded a video so you could hang out with me?" He asked. I nodded, chuckling, "I have 2 days worth of videos ready in case that happened, but I only use them if I don't get a chance to record,"

Mark leaned across the table and kissed me. "You're really something," he said, smiling softly. I smiled back, "Thank you, I know," I teased.

I finished my burrito and took my dishes to the sink. Mark handed me his empty plate as well before he stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna shower now, Mr. First Move," he said playfully. I smiled at him and watched him leave. As he passed me on his way to the bathroom, I pulled him closer.

He whipped his head around in surprise, and I planted a kiss on his lips. "Love you, Markimoo," I murmured. He smiled and kissed my neck. "Love you too, Jackarooney," He whispered. I let him go and he turned towards the bathroom with a wave.

I lingered for a moment before heading to my recording room. I cast a loving glance over my shoulder at the pantsless man _._ _I_ _finally_ _did_ _it_ _...,_ I thought to myself. I glowed with pride as I sat down at my computer. I pulled up a game to play and set up my recording.

I adjusted my hat on my head, and pulled on my headphones, taking a deep breath to focus myself. _Well_ _done_ _,_ _Jack_ _._ _You've_ _finally concurred_ _your_ _fear_ _._ I thought happily, before hitting the record button. _The_ _fear_ _of_ _failure_ _._

* * *

 

Melly had reported the girl and her henchmen to the principal, and they were suspended from school for a solid 4 weeks. We all wished they had gotten expelled, and where surprised to hear that they weren't. Thankfully they never bothered her again after that. Most likely because they "didn't want the loud Irish guy to kick their ass". Not to long after that, Melly had met someone special, and they are currently approaching their 2 year anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Mark and I eventually came out to our fans. Of course, we told Melly first, after she introduced us to her boyfriend. A large majority of our fans were more than happy that we had finally hooked up, especially Melly. We were greeted with a lot of hate, as with any 'celebrity' couples. We shrugged off their spiteful comments, though some where to harsh to ignore. Mark was always there to comfort me whenever they got to personal.

I still work at the Other Side Café and Bar. YouTube had finally realized that I was one of their fastest growing channels, and stepped up my pay to match Mark's. Now-a-days I mostly work at the Other Side for sentimental reasons. I always enjoy bumping into fans there every once and a while. Mark often comes in on my breaks and we have lunch together. Sometimes Melly will join us.

Things are looking up for all of us. I don't regret a thing that has happened. Well, except for that time when we went on a double date with Melly and her boyfriend and ended up embarrassing myself during karaoke. I will _never_ live that down. Mark won't let me.

Still, I can hardly believe it's been nearly 3 years now since I made the first move. Mark had long since abandoned that silly nickname. He came up with an even better one for me, one we can both share: "my fiancé".

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed it~
> 
> If you happen to draw fanart, please tag it under " #Table15fic " or " #Table15fanart ". I'd love to see it!
> 
> ~MelchiorFlyer


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